Blood Moon
by dave-d
Summary: A camping trip in the northern Japanese Alps. A full moon. Something walks the night.
1. Default Chapter

_A/N:_

**WARNING.**

_This story contains grotesque imagery and substantial gore. It is by all accounts a horror story. Do not read it if such things disturb you or if you are underage._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

It was night.

The wood in the roaring campfires crackled and popped, making some of the more edgy campers jump.

The dancing flames cast their light this way and that, illuminating the face of laughing and cowering students alike.

Shadows grew long and twisted, forming horrid shapes when mischievous boys bent their arms and bodies this way and that. Some girls burrowed their way under the arms of big strong guys, feeling safer with their arms around them.  
_  
"Hmmmpppfff!"_ Kaname sniffed. Such a bunch of scaredy cats. Far be it from **_her_** to act that way.

Looking over at Sousuke, she wondered what he would do if she _did_ react in similar fashion, sneaking her way under his arms.

'**_Kaname, if you are cold, you should sit near the fire, not me.'_**

Yes. It would be something like _that._

Or, something otaku….

'**_Kaname, what is the purpose of your increased proximity? Have you identified a threat? Are the mountains infiltrated by a terrorist organization?'_**

She sighed.

In a perfect world….

Someone threw another set of logs on the fire, causing sparks to burst forth in large rolling clouds, looking like a convention of fireflies. The glow of the bonfires painted faces eerily, making them look as if they were covered with blood.

Kaname shivered. She convinced herself it was only the chill night air. She already had two sweaters on.

Looking up the foreboding slope behind her, she saw creeping masses of fog settling in, the leading edges tentatively touching here and there as if the diaphanous form was alive.

Things were quiet.

_Too quiet._  
**  
**There should be some noise in the night.

She noticed that the monkeys were gone, no longer darting in and out looking for handouts or stray scraps of food.

_Why?_

"**_ARRR-ARRRR-ARRRRR..."_**

A dark shape shambled out of the nearest edge of the clearing, the noise of its passage highlighted by the snap of sticks and the rustle of dry leaves. The shadowy figure was tall, at least nine feet. Its fringes seemed to flap, flow, and retract.

The ghostly call echoed about the dark cabin area.

"**_ARRR-ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR-AAAAAAAAR..._**

"Is... is... is that a _bear?_" One girl squeaked. "The guide said there are wild bears in these mountains."

"It's probably a _Shikome bandit_. A hobgoblin. They are said to be common in the mountains." The nearest boy wrapped his arms around her, adding a part of his blanket for good measure.

He whispered in her ear.

"They're bloodthirsty, and sadistic. Their eyes are bloodshot and piercing. Their teeth are sharp and jagged. That's why many people won't come up here without a heavy guard." He emphasized the key words.

_The girl ducked further inside the blanket._

The boy smiled.

The setting was perfect. High in the hills. Dark. Creepy atmosphere. A touch of dampness in the air. The smell of rainy weather on the way. The only thing missing were flashes of lightning and huge booming drum beats of thunder.

"**_ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR-ARRRRRRR-ARRRR-AAAARRRR..._**"

"I... I... I've heard about _those_..." Another boy grabbed a girl by the arm and tried to lead her into a dark unoccupied cabin. The night was too dark for the young lady to see the look in his eyes.

The small huts offered a possible place of relief and safety. But, the old wooden structures also held an even greater darkness... a sense of possible claustrophobia... and only one way out.

Perfect.

One of the perpetrators, hiding behind the bole of a large tree, screeched, his voice changing over to a terrible gurgling sound.

"No. It's **_not_** a goblin. It's an _Oni_. Those black- hearted demons are hell- bent upon destruction and chaos. Warty. Slimy. Twisted horns upon their heads. They live to inflict pain on others, _especially_ humans-the perfect playthings. **_HURRY!_**" The boy mentally applauded the fine acting being done by his unseen classmates.

"No. It _can't _be real. There's no such thing as demons and monsters." The girl's voice came out as little more than a whisper.

"That's what Mr. Yakimato thought..." the boy replied.

_The Jindai groundskeeper he named was missing one arm._

"On..." The girl began to run fast on her own. She stumbled.

"They especially look for human females..." The boy was going for the kill. "They find them much more desirable than the horrendous females of their _own_ race. We should have listened to that old woman at the bus stop. She said they roamed these hills at night."

_The girl began to tremble uncontrollably._

"**_ARRR-AAAARRRRRR-ARRRRRR..._**"

The shadowy formed kicked over a large pile of logs. It grabbed one boy, who let out a blood-curdling scream. Even in the light of the full moon, none of his fellow students could see the smile on his face.

"Sousuke..." Kaname looked around frantically for her protector. Where **_was_** that big idiot? He _should_ be making certain she was OK.

Not that she needed an help, of course.

**Bam bam bam bam bam bam bam**

**WHOOOOOOOOOOOMPPPPFFF**

The sound of gunfire.

A large blinding flash and the sound of detonation.

_That told Kaname exactly where Sousuke was._

"Ahhhhhhh." One voice called, followed by another. "Ohhhhhhh." A third followed in rapid succession. "My balls..."

A large bag of weapons was dropped on the ground. The metallic clank could not be heard of the collective screams and shouts of the cowering crowd. A dark shadow passed by the fire, headed for the monstrous shape.

**Thud thud thud smack whap wham thud**

"Stop... stop... _please_ stop."

The voices were human. And in considerable pain.

"You are _not_ a monster. You are high school students. You are very fortunate I employed great restraint."

_Sousuke._

Kaname ran towards the sound of his voice.

"Sousuke Sagara! What have you done? Did you shoot _another_ group of classmates?" Her halisen swung out quicker than an adder's tongue.

_Sousuke went tumbling._

A crowd was gathering. Some wanted to scold the tricksters. Others wanted to thank Sousuke. The majority wanted to see what Kaname had in store for the young otaku.

"Kaname. That hurt!" Sousuke rubbed the back of his head.

"I _hope_ so. I can't believe that you were shooting other students. You could have **_killed_** them. It was only a harmless _gag!"_ Kaname grabbed Sousuke by his collar and threw him up against a tree.

"Negative. I suspected they were students. That is why I used rubber bullets and a concussion grenade. Had I suspected something supernatural, it would have been armor-piercing and white phosphorous."

"**_WHAT!_** " Kaname did _not_ want Sousuke's tendencies to ruin the group trip. What Class Representative wants to explain to parents, school officials, or the authorities why any number of boys and girls are dead or maimed?

"I needed to act before I had official confirmation. I was _not_ about to let you come under any threat, Chidori." Sousuke's voice was husky. His breath made large clouds in the frigid air.

"On... I see." Kaname's voice softened considerably. She frowned and scowled when a number of nearby girls laughed, giggled, and started to whisper. "Just make certain it does not happen _again!"_

"I will only act as the situation demands. Shouldn't you be directing your instructions towards those boys who instigated the trouble?" Sousuke asked.

"I think they learned their lesson." Ryo laughed, looking down at the squirming boys.

"Yes! I doubt they've heard a word anyone has said after that explosion." Shinji's eyes were still huge.

"Maybe someone should check to see if they're OK." Ren was as considerate as usual.

Eventually the crowd dispersed and headed back to the fires. They began setting up their cold weather sleeping gear near the source of warmth. The dark and dreary cabins that dotted the mountainside did not have fire places. Still, a number of adventuresome guys and gals would venture within them, looking for some form of visceral thrill and a better level of protection from possible rain or dew. Other couples would make use of the cabins for their own amorous purposes.

Large numbers of groups struggled with massive school-supplied tents. A gust of chill air coursed down the rocky crag, sending chills down the spines of the campers. The fires gyrated , wavered, and reached out, as if they were straining to escape their bounds.

"So, you probably weren't scared, **_were_** you Sousuke?" Kyouko asked, taking note of the various activities going on throughout the area. Sniffing, she caught the odor of campfires and cook-outs from further down the escarpment.

Wow! She wondered what _they_ were feasting on.

"Negative. Why would one be afraid?" Sousuke went to work cleaning his pistol.

There was sound far off in the woods. It was a repetitive but subtle pattern.

Something was moving.

"It's dark. Isolated. We're far away from any help or place of safety." Shinji began to look around nervously, hearing his own words.

"Night is often dark." Sousuke said without looking up.

The sound grew fainter. It was headed down slope.

No one else seemed to notice it. Likely not a problem.

_Probably wildlife._

Kaname smacked her forehead.

"Shinji's right. Who **_knows_** what could be hiding out there, looking at us?" Maya looked at Ryo and Ren and shivered.

"Nothing." Sousuke took off a pair of thermal imaging goggles and placed them back in his bag.

The sound stopped completely.

It was too distant to give off a detectable heat signature. It was almost as if something were standing still, undecided.

Kaname growled.

"It's a big world, Sousuke. And these lands are largely unexplored. There **_could_** be creatures out here that your toys won't help you see." Mizuke began chewing on her fingernails after saying that.

"It is _not_ a problem." Sousuke was obviously not concerned one whit.

The young soldier shut out all of the sounds directly surrounding him. He ignored the heavy breathing. He didn't pay any attention to the edge of fear in speakers' voices. The curse words and exclamations of anger coming from the tent builders meant nothing to him. The squeals and sounds of passion from cabins further up the way did not have him sweating. Laughter. Joke telling. Pranks. Food preparation and utensil cleaning. The voice of the raging fire. None of those registered.

The sound began again, first heading slightly towards their position.

"I hope it stays that way. There are, of course, the legends of the _Yama-Uba_, the _Snow_ _Women_. Credible mountain climbers have claimed to see _them_. They had oxygen tanks, so it was not merely oxygen deprivation." Atsunobu yawned, sitting near Ren.

"Snow Women?" Shinji's face blanched.

"Yes," the Student President answered. "Spirits that inhabit high mountain areas. Evil demonic entities. They appear as hideous crones, dressed in ragged Kimonos, covered with a layer of ice and frost. They knock travelers off of steep trails and into the ravines below. They can then feast on their flesh at their leisure." He pushed his glasses up with one finger.

_THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP_

Despite mumbling relaxing words to herself, Kaname felt her heart jump in her chest.

"E-E-Eat..." Shinji's eyes grew large.

"Yes..."

_THUMP THUMP THUMP_

"...But, they would rather fill their bloated bellies with _living_ meat..."

"**_Eeek!_**" Mizuke grabbed ahold of Shinji's arm.

"Exactly..." The tale teller's glasses seemed to glow in the light of the bonfire.

A loud impact could be heard just below their position.

A huge rotten tree branch had finally found its way to the ground below.

Everyone but Sousuke and Atsunobu jumped. They were each getting a bit nervy. Each looked at the others, subconsciously feeling some need to check everyone else's mood.

_THUMP THUMP THUMP_

"They can smell human flesh from miles away, easily locating them in the vast mountain ranges. They will pursue their prey until the kill, or until the potential victim leaves the mountains."

"I...I...I _knew_ you shouldn't have worn perfume into the mountains, Maya!" Ryo looked cross.

"They would likely only eat the slow, the infirmed, or the incautious" Sousuke added helpfully.

The sound off in the forest stopped again.

_THUMP THUMP THUMP_

"It is said that they are spell casters of considerable power, experts in potions, poisons, and concoctions of every conceivable type."

Kyouko dumped her tea into the fire.

Mizuke spat.

"Poisons can also be incorporated into the ground one sits on." Sousuke added, counting the number of rounds in one clip.

The sound began again.

A group of monkeys was startled, giving off a chorus or barks and hoots. Something had spooked them enough to cause them to vocalize.

Maya, Ryo, Mizuke, and Kyouko stood up. They looked at one another uneasily.

_THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP_

"And, they will often act as merchants, selling wares that travelers need, setting a high price. If someone fails to make the purchase..."

Shinji gasped. "That woman. At the shop near the bus station. She offered me film at ridiculous prices..."

Mizuke moved to the side of the fire opposite Shinji.

"I saw her. She didn't have any frost," Atsunobu said, reassuring Shinji.

Shinji breathed a sigh of relief.

"I took note of her dentition. Her teeth were jagged and rotting. In addition, her nose was crooked. Her features were twisted and malformed." Sousuke was merely making an observation.

The mysterious sound was headed down slope again

Shinji came close to passing out.

_THUMP THUMP THUMP_

"But, we shouldn't worry. The old man in the stone hut said that no one around these parts has been lured to their deaths..."

Just about everyone sighed with relief.

"...for the last two weeks. I guess they _might_ be overdue..."

_You could have heard a pin drop._

A scream sounded from up above their position. The girls all huddled together. Shinji looked for a hole to crawl into. Sousuke looked calm and unrattled.

A laughing girl ran down the slope, carrying a boy's clothing. Shouting, the boy ran after, trying to stay out of the light. He was naked except for a pair of socks.

Everyone sat up, straightening their posture as if nothing had happened, pretending that they were not alarmed.

"Is that story true?" Ren asked calmly. There was a knowing twinkle in her eye.

Atsunobu smiled.

Everyone threw twigs, pebbled, and food wrappers at the trouble maker.

"It is OK. You can stop being afraid now, Kaname." Sousuke said.

Kaname frowned. She reached for her paper fan. Maya laughed. She had snuck it away from her.

"Who says I _was_ scared? It takes a lot to scare _me_, Sousuke Sagara! _Hmmppff!"_

"**ARRRROOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**"

A fearful howl split the night, drifting through the tall evergreens like a trail of smoke blown on a swirling wind.

"_AHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."_

The terrible scream followed not too long thereafter.

The sounds had come from further down the mountain slope, in another cluster of cabins and cleared campsites.

"Looks like boys will be boys. There must be a bunch of jokers down there too." Ryo seemed uncertain whether or not she believed her own supposition.

Sousuke stood up.

He took a submachine gun and a pistol out of his bag. "Here. Watch after the women." He gave the pistol to Atsunobu.

Slamming a fresh clip home, Sousuke took out a homing beacon and hammered it into the ground of the camp area. He began to walk away.

"Sousuke! What are you _doing?_ This is no time for games..." Kaname sounded cross. There was a slight catch in her voice.

"_AHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh_... _URRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr_..."

More screams and fearful noises crept their way up from below.

"I have seen too much death, Kaname. I have heard too many cries. Those were _real."_

_The young soldier disappeared into the darkness._


	2. Chapter 2

Kaname didn't know how many of her fellow classmates took notice of the noises that had drawn Sousuke away from the fire.

Most seemed intent on going about business as usual. Still, the crowd around their fire had nearly doubled. The conversations were hushed, not jovial.

The trip had all started out so favorably. The charter buses had dropped the class off in the historic castle town of Matsumoto. She had been forced to school a certain sergeant **_repeatedly_** with the halisen, reigning in so that he wouldn't keep wandering off towards the castle.

That was _not_ why they had all come this far.

Now, she wished more than anything she was behind the thick walls of that fortification.

She wished that Sousuke was by her side.

It was hard to force her thoughts back to the memories earlier that day, and the days before.

Kamikochi was a beautiful park, situated on a plateau _2000 meters_ above sea level in the center of the northern Japanese Alps. The drive up to the park in the smaller town busses was breathtaking. It had almost felt like being in a different world. A wild bear was seen running across the road. Monkeys scampered hither and yon. A wide variety of birds flitted from tree to tree.

It had looked like paradise. The type of paradise where everything was peaceful, and nothing could possibly go wrong.

The boys and girls on the school sponsored trip had stopped one night at a facility of **_rotenburos_**-outside hot-spring baths. Unlike Kaname, some of the students had racy tales to tell after that.

Kaname threw a stick into the fire. Sparks flew upward, taking on the shape of Sousuke's face to her eye. Damn him! She had even brought the white bikini! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!

Oooooh, Sousuke!

"Sousuke, please be OK..." No one heard her whispered plea. "Think about something else, Kaname…." Following her own advice, she though back to a small hotel they had all stayed at.

Many of her fellow students had wandered around outside, taking in the scenery, and barbequing their meals at the adjacent camp site. It was a wonderful time, full of teenage tomfoolery and surging hormones. The initial hike after that was slow and easy.

After stocking up on food and hiking further up the mountain, they all stayed in a large hiker's hut. Hundreds of campers from other walks of life were bunking there, sleeping in a seemingly endless number of cots and hammocks.

Sherpas discussed their trade... families listened to tales from across the country and around the world... youths talked excitedly about the adventure ahead of them. Some of the older men had frightening stories to tell, but no one wanted to waste their time listening to old wive's tales or musty and moldy legends.

At the insistence of the girls in the group, the Jindai High School classes had strolled along the river, visited scenic ponds and shrines, and took in the wide expanse of wildflowers peeking out from under the leaves on the forest floor. After that, the boys were intent on scaling the tall peaks and navigating the knifelike ridges.

Not content with the first few groups of cabins they had come across, the kept pushing onward and upward.

Finally, they reached a lovely series of huts and cabins just before night fell. The view was spectacular. The air smelled so crisp and clean. Even the food they bought tasted heavenly after the long and arduous climb. A few groups of boys went out exploring, making certain the class wasn't anywhere near the edge of any worrisome chasm.

Before Kaname had known what was going on, the more industrious students had cleared a large area and Sousuke had helped start a number of huge fires. Kaname had been in such a wonderful mood…… and had been so weary in the limb….. that she did**_ not_** chastise Sousuke for using incendiary devices to initiate the blazes. The boys who later snuck such devices from Sousuke's bag deserved their singed eyebrows and smoking hair.

When night fell heavily, and the cold crept in so quickly, Kaname had began to feel uneasy. This was a rugged area. Comfort was not a standard item. As an athlete…… and a student representative…… she had been determined to lead by example.

She would keep a cheerful face and deal with the hardships as they came.

It was hard to keep a smile on now. The scary stories. The frightful prank. The howling and the screams. Sousuke's departure. Things were _not_ quite the way she had imagined when she voted to approve this trip.

Kaname bit her lip.

She had almost vetoed the trip. _Why?_ Because of Sousuke.

He was certain that the excursion would be a good way to improve the strength and endurance of the entire group. Also, one could never tell when mountaineering skills would come in handy. Terrorists did not confine themselves to flat ground.

For the rest of**_ that_** afternoon, Kaname had confined _him_ to a garbage can she tossed him into.

She sighed repeatedly.

Kaname didn't want to listen to the conversation taking place at the fire.

She couldn't help herself.

"The Orient is plagued by many forms of spirits," one girl claimed. Her father and grandfather ran a temple outside of Tokyo. "Or I should say, **_stories_** about spirits and the undead. Most of them do not have corporeal bodies. Many are just free-floating souls. But, some _are_ capable of taking on a tangible form."

One boy snuck up behind Kyouko and growled. She screamed and grabbed onto Shinji. Shinji promptly fainted.

"Yes, like the _Sennin_. Looking like ordinary men who are too lightly dressed, they wander the mountains, trapped in the mortal realm as a punishment for misdemeanors carried out by one of their kind eons ago. They offer a wish to anyone who can find their missing soul, but no one has _ever_ been successful. They often give a gift to those kind enough to try." The girl smiled. As a child, she had always dreamed about winning a wish.

"That doesn't sound so bad..." Maya said, looking around the campsite.

"I know what Mizuke would wish for!" One boy said.

"You mean _other_ than someone whose name rhymes with Shirai?" A girl smiled wickedly.

Mizuke looked ready to go ballistic.

"Yes." The boy held his hands out in front of his chest. "_Mountains_…… instead of molehills."

The boys all laughed. So did some of the girls.

Mizuke blushed.

"Ah, but most spirits _aren'_t so benevolent." The girl's answer shattered the temporary mood.

"The _Baku_ aren't so bad." When the one boy mentioned the word 'Baku," Kaname thought of 'Baka,' which naturally had her thinking about Sousuke.

"_Sousuke," _she whispered.

"They looked like large majestic lions, with elephant heads. When they came across a sleeper in their dream realm, they would challenge them to a fight. If they were victorious, they would devour the sleeper's nightmares."

"I'm still awake," Ryo said, bighting her nails. "But I have a nightmare I wish they would take away."

A number of girls nodded their heads.

"She's**_ not_** talking about Sousuke," Kyouko said, trying to reassure Kaname.

"_Hmmppff!"_ That was all Kaname could manage. Kyouko's expression showed that she knew her friend's reaction had been forced.

She began to worry too.

**AHHHROOOoooooooooooo AHHH AHHHRRROOOoooooooooooooooooo**

The howl came from far down the hillside.

"_Wh_-What is _th-th_-that..." Shinji almost sprained his neck turning around.

"A dog. It's probably just someone's dog." One boy sounded certain.

"A _big_ dog. A really _really_ big dog..." Another boy's eyes said he wasn't so certain. His clenched fist was a clear indication that he wished he was.

For a long moment, the only sounds at the campsite came from the other fires and their surrounding students.

"Then there were the _Kappa_. They lived in stagnant pools and meres, close to human settlements. They considered meat of _all_ forms to be food. Grappling with victims and displaying hideous strength, they would drag the unfortunates to the depths of their lairs."

The girl had a strong need to hear herself talk. That was the only thing she wanted to hear.

"Only if the water spilled out of the bowl-like depression oh their head, would they be weakened enough to deal with successfully. Unbelievably polite, they would always return a bow, spilling the water and temporarily crippling themselves. The trick only worked once for each opponent." The girl yawned. Like many of the other students, she was growing very sleepy.

But, like some of the others, she didn't know if she would be **_able_** to get any sleep... or if she wanted to close her eyes for more than a couple of seconds that night.

"What about the _Tengu?"_ One boy asked. "I heard they were part man and part crow. Or something like that."

"Yes, they looked like winged humans with huge beaks or terribly long noses. They relish the appearance of men in their mountain ranges, considering them fair game for the pranks and practical jokes they so love. They often like to steal items of great beauty."

"Well, that means Chidori is safe."

Kaname looked around. That had sounded suspiciously like Shirai. Where had he crept in from? It would be in his best interest if he had crept away soon after. Maybe his group had booted him out. Some things never change.

"The Tengu are otherwise harmless, content to live a peaceful existence. The same could not be said for the **_Buso_**." The girl shuddered saying that name. She had suffered numerous nightmares after her grandfather's tales of the ghoul-like creatures.

"_B-B_-Buso?" Shinji didn't really want to know, but he couldn't control his own curiosity.

"Yes. Flesh-eating spirits. Thought to be the spirit of someone who died of starvation. They roam the dark alleys and deserted areas of cities and camps looking for a walking meal. Vicious talons and sharp pointed teeth make short work of the unfortunate men or women they come across."

A number of the girls moved closer to the fire.

**AHHHH-ROOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.**

The howling noise in the distance now had one girl in tears and a couple of more close to it. A number of the boys looked decidedly uncomfortable. Every sound in the dark forest seemed magnified one hundredfold.

The fog began to drift in amongst the fires, tents, and sleeping bags. Some of the cabins further up the hill had become difficult to make out.

The one girl was finally content to leave her descriptions of spirits where she had finished. The boy nearest her smiled, seeing the looks on his comrades' faces. He decided to continue the conversation.

"The _Rokiro-Kubi_ were nothing we want to run into around here either." The boy laughed. "I hope that howling noise is not one of _them_."

He paused, drinking in the sound of whimpering. "Creepy fog, _isn't_ it?"

Kaname rummaged through her rucksack. It looked like the halisen might prove useful again.

"Death by hanging lead to the creation of such spirits. As a result, they had very long necks. They are creatures of pure vengeance, existing only to inflict torment and death upon the living. _Especially_ girls." The last part was pure improvisation. It was also an invitation to Kaname of sorts.

**_SMACCCKKK!_**

The boy nearly fell into the fire. He remembered laughing repeatedly whenever he had seen Sousuke struck in the past. It didn't seem so funny now.

Kaname sniffed. For a moment, the old Kaname was back in all her glory.

"Ow!"

The boy was defiant. No girl was going to show him up.

"They look like gaunt raggedly individuals dressed in the clothes they wore at their execution. Their skin is cold and grey... their fingers end in long talons... they tear their victims into small pieces... or they use the rope they were hanged with to strangle their prey." The boy put the rope from his sleeping bag around Maya's neck. She nearly leaped out of her skin.

**_SMACCCKKK! WHACKKK!_**

Kaname almost felt as if she were being unfaithful. The paper fan was usually reserved for Sousuke. Thinking that name made her deeply worried again. What if there _was_ something out there. Sousuke was alone, in the dark... The boy was obviously a slow learner.

"We also shouldn't forget the _Gaki_. Evil spirits of possession, thought to be the souls of bodies that were not dispatched the proper way, as set down by Buddhist strictures. Appearing as dark humanoids, with bloated bellies and sickly glowing skin..."

He stood up quickly and pointed into the forest, calling everyone's attention to an eerie glowing form.

Before they realized it was a boy holding a lantern up near his face, a number of girls dove under nearby sleeping rolls.

"...Their eyes are wild. Like many ghosts, they seem to merely float through the air. The cause pain and misery to _everyone_ they come across, attacking anyone who attempts to stand in their way. They may possess humans, forcing them to do their bidding, killing them through over- exertion and injury as they seek to put their original body to rest properly." The boy paused again for effect.

He was in complete control. He relished the power.

"As I understand it, there were countless gallows at the castle. And, Buddhist communities used to dot these hills like warts on a toad. A spooky coincidence, _isn't_ it..."

His victory was short-lived.

**_SMACCCKKK!_**

The third halisen salvo ended the boy's thirst for mischief.

Things were quiet for a moment after that. The silence made the subsequent noise all that more nerve-wracking.

**AHHHROOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo AHROO AROOooooooooooooooooo**

The unease had clearly spread to other campfires.

One girl stood up, nearly hysterical. "God, I wish it would stop. I just wish it would stop!" Friends and fellow classmates looked to comfort her, but she was not the only one who was frantic with fear and unease.

With each reverberating howl, the night seemed darker and forest seemed deeper. With each falling branch in the woods, heart rates jumped. The brief hoot of an owl caused more than one student to drop their plates or bowls of food. The never-ending fog almost seemed suffocating.

Even a number of couples who had more earthy endeavors in mind left their cabin hideaways to seek a greater degree of companionship.

Most intrepid boys and their female counterparts seemed unconcerned, but the number of worried faces grew steadily.

"Well... any one up for some good gossip?" Kaname took it upon herself to change the mood. Even so, she didn't feel up for chit chat herself.

No one answered.

"I see. Let me put in a few words of reassurance." Atsunobu spoke in a self- assured quiet voice. "Even if the creatures of legend _did_ exist, they weren't _all_ malevolent or evil." He took a moment to wipe off his glasses, and put down the novel he was reading.

"That's good..." Kaname said, trying to calm everybody down.

"The _Hengeyokai_... some folks just refer to them as _Henge_... were members of the animal kingdom who could shape shift and take human form. They usually dwelled alone, and were able to change their appearance at will. For example, one type of Henge went about in cat form, no different than any other cat. In human form, they would appear as slender and extremely agile men or women."

Kaname stood up and pirouetted, arms away from her sides.

A number of guys and girls looked at her and shook their heads. Kyouko got her camera ready.

"_WHAT?_" Kaname asked.

No one was foolish enough to answer.

"Quick-witted and highly perceptive, with the added benefit of their agility, several Cat Henge became members of the Ninja..."

One boy looked at Kaname again, and began to snicker.

**_WHAMMMMM!_**

"Anyone else?" Kaname asked. She wasn't just doing her usual routine. There was a method to her madness-the familiarity of the halisen attack might distract her classmates for a while.

One log within the fire snapped and popped exceedingly loud. Mizuke jumped, accidentally landing in Shinji's lap. Neither made any effort to move.

"The Dog Henge appeared as huge hounds, about the size of small ponies. In human form, they are highly muscular. Bad tempered and unimaginative, they make good warriors, but not a great deal else. Their minds are very basic, and they often resort to physical means to achieve their goals. They are fiercely loyal, protecting their friends with their lives."

"Sousuke" a number of people said or thought at once. The words 'protecting' and 'with their lives' echoed in Kaname's head.

"Monkey Henges are mischievous and inquisitive by nature, but have a fierce temper, even greater than the Dogs. When fully angry, they were a sight to behold."

Everybody looked at Kaname again. She stuck out her tongue. Someone even ventured a laugh. A few others joined in.

"There were other types written about, including Rat, Crane, Fox, and Spiders. There are plenty of stories about _Kitsune_, the fox women." The student council president wisely did not mention that the Spider Henge were the size of a large hound... had razor sharp mandibles... and slaughtered unsuspecting humans mercilessly.

"Other types were probably imagined as well. Like the _Tanuki_. We've all seen the statues and idols of the creatures looking somewhat like a dog, racoon, or badger."

A number of students smiled at that.

Their smiles were short lived.

**AHHHRRROOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

The sound was closer.

A good deal closer.

"_Nooooo no arrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"_

The scream was faint, but the words could be made out. The end of the vocalization spoke of hideous pain and anguish.

Why would anyone pretend like _that?_

"Sousuke. Where is Sousuke?" Kaname blurted out her thoughts. That didn't sound like him, did it?

And just what was out there?

Where was it headed?

Why?

"_Th_-That's no _d-d_-dog..." One girl began to shiver uncontrollably. "I've heard something like that before, visiting a pen pal in Russia. It sounds like a wolf."

"No. _Uh uh._ **_No way_**." Shinji was insistent. "I've read about wolves in this country. The last wolf in Hokkaido was shot in 1896. The last one on Honshu was killed in 1905. There are no more _okami_ in Japan."

"That is quite correct," Atsonobu agreed, patting Ren's hand. "However, a number of groups have made an effort to reintroduce wolves, especially in areas where deer and monkeys greatly threaten farm crops. Perhaps _this_ was one such area."

No one looked hopeful. If it _were_ wolves, would the wolves attack people, especially in such a large group? If it were not wolves, than what was it?

**AHHHRRROOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

The sound was closer yet.

A group of monkeys screeched. Their troop moved from tree to tree. Some settled high above the camp.

The students huddled closer and closer together.

**AHHH AHHH AHHHRRROOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

That noise was further down the hill.

Either the creature-or prankster-was very quickor, there was more than one.

The monkeys called out again, quickly moving away from the camp and further up the hill.

What had them so frightened?

"_Please... God... nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"_

That scream had a number of girls hiding their faces in their hands

Enough was enough!

**Rata tat rata tat rata tat rata tat rata at rata tat rata tat**

Gunfire.

Submachine gun, to be precise.

It sounded awfully familiar to Kaname.

_Steyr TMP._

That's what Sousuke had been carrying.

Just about everyone in the camp stopped what they were doing. The ante had been upped considerably. Now, only a few students were unconcerned. That minority assumed it was Sousuke over-reacting again.

Most, however, began to talk in frightened voices, wondering what they should do.

_That luxury would not last much longer._


	3. Chapter 3

The cascading beams from the leering full moon filtered haphazardly through the boughs and branches of the towering ever green and ash trees.

The squares and rectangles of light painted an eerie patchwork quilt on the lush forest floor. The view was surreal. Any painter worth his salt would sell his very soul to be able to paint it as it was.

Sousuke ran as quickly as the reduced visibility allowed. It made no sense to twist an ankle or break a limb now. It would also be unwise to run head on into a foe or dangerous situation totally unawares. As he passed through the shifting streamers of light, the strobe effect put his mind in a false sense of ease.

Screams came in slow motion.

If felt as if it took forever to hit the ground, every time he vaulted over a fallen tree or tangle of shrubs. Smells registered on his senses long after he passed them by.

The distance he had to cover would take some time. Fortunately, it was a down hill run. Speed would be important. There might be lives at stake.

Them inexplicably, things seemed to speed up. The minutes felt like seconds. His mind was concerned more about where he was going and what he would find, than it was about where he was and where he had just been.

He had felt the odd temporal dissociation on missions many times.

This time, for some reason, the effect was magnified.

With each howl, his senses ramped up. His mind became more focused. The cold night air sent goosebumps racing along his body, making him feel more alive than he could remember. The adrenalin rush felt as if it might set him alight. He was now a creature of instinct and intuition. His steps were guided by something other than conscious thought.

Jumping through a large bramble patch, thorns carved into his flesh. He didn't feel it.

Rushing through a tangled mass of vines, twigs and leaves filled his shirt and clung to his hair. He didn't even know they were there.

The further he ran, the stronger the odor of a late night's feast teased his nostrils. He took no notice.

Every molecule in his body shouted 'danger!' His subconscious laughed and shouted back 'so what!'

The TMP felt good in his hands. No, it felt as if it were **_part_** of his hands. The Heavy bag bouncing off his back could have been a tail or wings, It was part of him _too_. So was the forest.

So was the night.

There was something dangerous in the forest. Sousuke knew that, even if he had no idea yet what it was.

There was something **_else_** dangerous in the forest. Sousuke._  
_  
There was someone he needed to protect. Kaname.

Woe betide anyone or anything that threatened harm to her.

They would find out who was the most dangerous.

A different light snuck between leaf, needle, branch, and bough. It danced and beckoned. It peeked, then hid.

Fires. Campfires, to be precise. He was nearing the next encampment.

Finally, he was close enough to clearly make out and words that someone might call out.

The sounds were far from favorable.

His mind pulled in one direction while his heart leaned towards another. He _should_ be at Kaname's side. But, he also needed to know what was going on in order to best prepare.

"Help... somebody... **_anybody_**... help... _Ahhhhhhgrgrgllllahhhhhh."_

Human. Probably dead or dying now.

Sousuke rolled after jumping too high over an outcropping of stone.

**_AHHHHRRROOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo_**

The young sergeant switched off the safety on his gun.

He would have little time to read the situation and react, if the sounds were any indication.

**_AHROOooo AHHH AHHHRRROOOoooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo_**

He activated his communicator, so the radioman on the TDD-1 could record everything that was about to happen.

"Mommy... _MOMMMMMMYYYYY_..."

A young child. Frightened. Close to shock.

Sousuke began a running commentary of what he saw and what he was doing. Even if no one was currently at the console, the words would all be burned to disc.

**_ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR_**

He was close enough to see the clearing. Shapes ran about. Humans. Others shapes followed. _not_ human.

Something was banging hard against locked doors, sending drum-like beats echoing to the tree tops. The sound of shattering wood was followed by brief shouts and hideous gurgling screams.

"No... _nononononno noooooooooooooooooo_..."

A well-dressed woman was pounced on from behind. The dark shape on her back had blurry outlines. It was furred. The crunch of bones brought gorge into Sousuke's throat. The enemy was definitely not human.

It treated humans as livestock. Prey. Dinner.

**_ARRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRR RRRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR_**

More movement.

A man momentarily had his arms around the neck of something, trying to hold it back from a fallen boy. Before Sousuke realized what had happened, one of that man's arms was detached and in the thing's jaws.

"Ohhhhhh eeeeeeeeeeeee _oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh..."_

**_GRRRRRRRRRRRRR ARRR ARRRRRRRRRRR_**

The armless and throatless victim stumbled dumbly a few steps before falling down forever. His killer began to rip into the flesh of his abdomen, reddening its muzzle with fresh blood and torn strips of muscle and skin.

It suddenly stopped. It knew something came. It got up into a bestial crouch, then stood up on two limbs and howled a challenge.

**_OOOOOOOOOOOOOO AR AR AR OOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOO_**

Sousuke slid to a halt, his senses revolting against his mind. His body froze momentarily. The animal instincts of his earliest ancestors shouted _'Run away you fool. Run!''_

This was a scene from a movie.

A horror film. A veritable page out of Hell's finest script.

The howling beast in front of him was man-shaped, dark, and lithely muscled. Fine black hairs covered every inch of the body, from the taloned fingers and toes, up the canine-like snout and its razor-sharp fangs.

The long pointed ears swiveled towards him.

A horrendous black tongue ran over its teeth, dripping blood-tinged slobber all over its heaving matted chest.

The nostrils flared, sniffed, and sniffed again.

The yes narrowed, showing only small slits of glowing red, as if a supernatural fire burned within.

**_OOOOOOOOOOO AR AR AR OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_**

Its posture changed. Somehow, Sousuke knew it was about to charge. If his weapons proved ineffective... if he missed... or if the creature could withstand a lot of punishment before dying... he realized full well that his life would end here.

Now.

Horribly.

Unthinkably.

The voices clamoring for his attention over his communicator would not be answered any time soon.

Like a coach reviewing film at slow speed, he was able to take note of other similar creatures scattered around the campsite. One was under an overturned table, the fancy linen table clothes and candelabras scattered amongst the china plates, crystal bowls, and fancy silver ware. The meal it ate had at one time been eating the food now covered with dirt.

Another beast sat crouched on the roof of one of the huts, vigilant. It stared at Sousuke.

"Is there someone out there? _Please._ Answer! Are you help?" A frantic woman's voice came from the largest of the cabins. Deep furrows were scratched into its door, but the wood planking was stern stuff.

"**NO!** Run away. _For God's sake_, save yourself. If you can, bring help. Oh, God... can _anything _help us..."

Similar calls came from the few remaining huts and edificesthat still had intact doors and shutters. Sousuke paid them no heed. There was only one place he could afford to look. Something-he knew not what-kept him from striking first.

Without making a sound, the beast moved. Its first step was followed by an amazing bound, a full thirty feet in the air, its open jaws aimed right at the junction of Sousuke's neck and head. Any other man's lifeblood would have been fountaining skyward one heartbeat later.

"**_NO!_** " Sousuke's shout caused the creature on the roof to sit a little higher on its haunches, ears lifting and muzzle retracting. It too looked prepared to join the fray.

The young soldier's quickest move proved barely sufficient. Clawed arms passed close to his body and furred feet dug furrows where he was last standing.

Rolling across burning coals knocked out of a nearby barbeque pit, Sousuke fought back.

**Rata tat rata tat rata tat rata tat rata tat rata tat rata tat**

A well-placed stream of 9mm slugs tore through the side and neck of the incomprehensible monster. Red blood spurted out and began trickling along slick fur. The beast's growl turned into a whimper, but it did _not_ collapse and it did _not_ die.

Looking at Sousuke, as if memorizing his sight and smell, the creature made a sound somewhere between a cough and a howl and stumbled off into the woods, trailing small crimson beads behind it like breadcrumbs in a fairy tale.

"**_WHO'S NEXT!_**" Sousuke felt the blood pounding in his head. He was _not_ prey. He too was a hunter. They had picked the wrong night. They had chosen the wrong forest! "I'm a _Specialist!"_

"Sergeant Sagara... _Urzu 7_, report... Sagara, what is going on..."

The voice on the communicator wanted answers. Sousuke had no time for that. Unchracteristically, he shouted out.

"**_THERE'S_**...**_ NO_**... **_DAMN_**... **_TIME_**...**_THERE ARE M-O-N-S-T-E-R-S!"_**

There was also no time to take out a clip and change it into the SMG. His questing hand found just what he wanted, however.

The beast on top of the hut waited too long. Its ears folded back in curiosity when the grey cylindrical canister landed at its feet. The yellow band on it and the other colorful markings meant nothing to the creature.

The _M206A2_ delayed fuse in the White Phosporus grenade did its thing. Right as the monster began to spring, the _'Willie Pete'_ went off, sending 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit particles for a blast radius of 17 meters.

The horrifically effective weapon sent huge octopus arms of igniting phosphorus and smoke outward, setting the night alight and touching off blazes on the wooden and thatched rooves of the nearest adjacent buildings. Trees glowed like neon white fingers reaching skyward in supplicating, the fire clinging to them like a living thing.

**_AR OH AGH AGH AR OO AR OHHH ARRRR OOOOOOOO AR AR AHHH OOOO_**

A flaming white figure-humanoid in shape, with its arms trying to brush away deeply embedded particles-wavered in its steps, weaving and stumbling, before collapsing in a burning mass of fur and bone. That monster would not be going anywhere!

The top of a 200 pound picnic table was flung off into the woods as if it were made of balsa. The monster that stood high on its hind legs was a good bit larger than the two that Sousuke had already fought.

An adult? A parent? A mate? A teacher? Who could say?

**_ARRRR ARRRR ARRRR ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR ARRR ARRRRRRRRRRRR_**

Sousuke shivered. He almost froze, fatally. It was as if the beast were trying to communicate. Perhaps it was promising Sousuke that unspeakable pain was coming his way. Maybe it was beseeching some unholy agency for assistance.

Again, who could say? And who had time to ponder the question?

Sousuke used the brief respite to grab his M1911 pistol. He also took extra time to locate one of two very special clips. Two illegal clips.

Clips he had never been able to bring himself to use against a human enemy.

Why had he even kept them in his bag? It didn't matter. The real question was whether or not they would work.

He wouldn't wait this time. Lightning quick, he raised the .45 caliber pistol and fired.

**Bang bang**

Even quicker, the monster stepped back and to the side. It's muzzle split in a canine smile. Its ears flicked forward briefly, twice.

"Shit!" Sousuke's aim had been perfect. The creature was smart. It had anticipated his action. Or-even worse-it had been able to follow his moves de novo and dodge them without any time for thought.

Instinct and reflexes like that were phenomenal. Superhuman.

He swallowed hard.

There was no doubt what he needed to do.

He had to get closer. _Much_ closer. So close that if he missed, there would be no time for _him_ to dodge.

"Now!" Sousuke sprinted forward, gun in two hands held straight out in front of him.

**Bang bang**

The monster leaped upward and back. It landed in a crouch snarling. It was uncertain. But it was certainly not defeated.

A brief bit of movement caught Sousuke's eye as something passed in front of a distant fire. Another creature. It stood staring.

**_AHHHHRRROOOooooooo oooooo ooooooo AHH AHH AHHRRROOO ooooo oooo oooo ooo oooo ooo_**

The creature ran off up the hill.

Back towards Sousuke's camp. A series of howls sounded from that direction.

"Kaname!" Sousuke gasped. He had to get back up there._ If_ he could make it through the woods alive.

First, he would have to defeat the beast in front of him. He had no foolish belief that he could outrun it.

'In front of him?'

He had only turned his head for a half a heart beat.

The creature had slipped away like the breeze.

_Where?_

Sousuke ran quickly to the center of the clearing. He needed as much distance and space as he could obtain. Crouching down, he half-closed his eyes, letting his hearing take control.

_Nothing. _

Not a single noise could be heard over the din of the survivors; the rush and crackle of the fires; or the distant howling noises.

Was the creature out there watching him, waiting for the ideal opportunity to strike.

Had it gone off towards his camp?

Could it have hidden in one of the deserted buildings.

**WHERE WAS IT!**

"Calm down. Peace. Be at peace." Sousuke needed to calm his nerves.

"What was that? Please repeat, _Urzu-7_. Please repeat your message."

The radioman would not give up. He was doing his job.

"Sagara. Sergeant Sagara, are you there?" It was Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin's voice. "Are you able to speak? Sagara, _answer!"_

Panting like a dog himself, Sousuke mopped his brow, eyes darting left and right. Crablike, he crouched and walked behind a line of old stone benches. Gun out in front of him, he made a number of quick moves, hoping to lure the monster back into his field of fire.

No movement.

_Nothing._

The reflection of firelight off of some item caught his attention. Forks. Knives. Spoons. They were scattered around the wreckage of the ostentatious picnic. It was a sign of conspicuous consumption. There was so much silver…… for a camping trip….. far away from civilization.

Silver?

A thought clamored for attention. Unwilling to be distracted further, Sousuke still found himself filling his bag with the dirty and blood covered utensils.

Reaching for one, he almost gagged.

An eye looked back at him. And eye and nothing more. The only remaining sign that yet another life had been torn away.

Life.

Torn away.

Kaname!

**DAMN! KANAME COULD BE IN DANGER! AND HE WAS STUCK HERE!**

"Calm down. Peace. Be at peace."

He walked slowly. He measured every breath. Without going too far into darkness or too close to any tree or structure, he looked around and between the huts, tables, fire pits, and isolated trees.

Nothing. Nothing still living.

His subconscious acted like an automatic camera system, recording images he would have no choice but to relive later,_ if_ he survived. Headless bodies. Parts of bodies. Shredded bodies. Expensive shoes. Hand carved picnic baskets and coolers. Shattered vases and trampled flowers. A pacifier. A doll. A lit cigar. An upended and dripping bottle of wine.

The pool of wine flowed into a puddle of blood.

"Sagara. This is an _order_. Say something. Do you require back-up. What is the situation."

Back-up.

Help.

Maybe.

Maybe it would only be mop up. _Forensics._ The men and women with the plastic bags, tarps, and tweezers.

More hope than nothing, though.

"Sagara here. Under attack. Locator beacon set at upper camp location. Chidori and other students there. My position down hill. Camp of strangers under assault. Monsters. Real monsters. Wolves. Walking wolves. Intelligent creatures. Killers. Eaters of men. Predators."

With each forced word, Sousuke stepped and turned. His senses were failing him. He was outmatched. Handicapped. Observed. Targeted.

He might be able to last the night like this.

Might.

If so, he would probably be the only one.

Unacceptable.

"Repeat. Are you injured? Focus. Are you hallucinating? Answer, soldier. We need details." Kalinin's voice worked Sousuke like a marionette. The conditioning of habit took over.

"_Urzu-7_ reporting. Bipedal creatures, capable of going on all fours. Quicker than human. Amazing strength. Phenomenal leaping ability. Red blood. Harmed by 9mm in large numbers, but not stopped. Killed by incendiary bombs. Smart enough to dodge shots. Hiding. Watching and waiting. No more time to talk. I must stop the one. _Now!"_

Sousuke could no longer afford to play it smart. It was time to move. There was no avoiding risks. Horrible risks. The dice must roll. The pips must fall just right. Only Kaname mattered. _He wanted to save as many as he could, but Kaname came first._

"Sousuke, please. _Monsters?_ Sousuke..." Captain Testarossa's voice. "Sergeant Sagara... how can there be monsters?"

Perhaps the stress was getting to Sousuke.

Maybe he had been around Sgt. Mao too much in the past month.

Whatever the reason, his final transmission was sure to be brought to his attention later, if he lived.

"**_YOU_**... **_F-CKING_**……. **_TELL_**... **_ME_**... I have no need for distractions now!"

He left the communicator open, but would give it no more attention for now. The stammering and sounds of disbelief on the other end meant nothing to him at that moment.

Looking at the candelabras laying amongst food and fresh corpses, he noticed that they too seemed to be made of silver. He stuffed them into his bag.

Yes, silver.

There was a word on his tongue, but he was not ready to use it yet.

Ringing his hands together in a quick prayer, Sousuke took off running up the hill, full speed. Abruptly, he stopped.

_No noise._

He ran again, for a longer length. Again he stopped and listened.

_No sounds._

Once more he ran, faster, harder, further. He stopped just in time.

_There was a sound. _

Something stopped. Something was breathing great steaming breaths. A twig cracked.

**Bang bang.**

**WHAM!**

_A hit._

Quickly, Sousuke put on his thermal goggles.

_There!_

**Bang bang**

_Misses._

"Damn it to Hell!"

The thermal image was gone. But foot marks still glowed with faint heat. It was time to turn the tables.

He jogged for a bit, then slowed. He walked, then picked up his pace. It was instinct alone that drove him. Kill or be killed. Kill and move on to save others.

Kill and send a message to whatever walked the night.

Sousuke followed the trail quickly, running as wide of it as possible, so not to be surprised. The creature was obviously not dead, but the round had done damage. He had drilled out the tips of the .45 caliber bullets. Into the hollow, he had poured mercury, before capping things off with more lead.

The force of the mercury slamming against something would cause the bullet to fragment tremendously, expanding the projectile and the wound. In the right instances, the round would actually explode.

Moving as quietly as he could, Sousuke realized that each step could be his last step, and each breath could be his final breath. There were so many things he never had a chance to do. There were so many things he didn't understand. There were so many things he wanted, but hadn't completely figured out yet.

Hunting the hunter, Sousuke thought back to something he had read. It was about the word he did not want to use yet. It was something he never had reason to take for fact.

Legends. Myths. Scary stories. Things that go bump in the night.

There were tales of an unholy beast that walked beneath the full moon. The stories said that it was silver the monster feared. But one text had suggesedt a mistranslation. Not 'silver,' but instead 'silvered metal.'

Mercury.

There was no way yet to tell exactly what he faced.

He could not be certain if mercury...or silver...would have any effect. But, there was certainly no harm in trying, was there?

"I'm coming. Time for **_you_** to be afraid!" He meant the words when he growled them, but they fell impotently from his tongue. Still, the thought kept him going.

The creature could be luring him to a trap. A hole. A deadfall. A sudden deadly drop. A pack of its brethren.

_Anything._

He stopped. No sound. Either the creature was completely still, or it could move with a stealth he could never equal. He slowed to a walk. His heartbeat was loud in his ears.

_Too loud._

His breath caught in his throat. His hands began to tremble. There was only so much that training, desperation, and willpower could do.

He was afraid. More afraid than he had ever been in his life.

Where was it?

Where was the cursed beast!

Sousuke tripped over an unseen log, just as he lost sight of the trail. That accidental tumble saved his life. Flat on his back, he saw a heat source up in a shadowy tree. The creature!

**Bang bang bang bang**

**WHUMP! Thud Thud WHUMP!**

**_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO URRRRRRRRRRRRR AAAAAAAAAAAAH_**

Something fell heavy at Sousuke feet. He scampered back quickly like a crustacean. Stars filled his eyes as his head banged hard against a large rock.

The shape moved up on to its arms, then collapsed without a sound.

Taking out a flashlight, Sousuke risked a moment of examination. A large hole was in the middle of the creature's chest. The chest was not moving. Unless it was clever enough to be holding its breath, the creature was dead. A poke with a sharp stick did not illicit any response.

So. They _could_ be killed by gunfire. That had been close, however. Much too close.

Sousuke's legs burned. His arms were exhausted. The bag felt as if it were filled with led and stones instead of weapons and silver.

That didn't matter. He would not feel any of it.

The camp was in danger. The students were in danger. Sousuke did not want to see the same things there that he had seen below.

_Kaname._

"I'm coming..."


	4. Chapter 4

There are things in life that are forgettable. Nothing about them warrants a second thought or a front row seat in the brain's neurons and supportive cells.

Then there are things that are unforgettable. Something wonderful. Events, sounds, sights, or smells so special, that they are burned into the soul itself.

For Kaname, this night would be neither of those.

That is because there are also events that by their very nature, _should_ be unforgettable. But, because they are so horrid... so harmful... so scarring... the mind puts them within wall after wall, behind anatomical locks and emotional chains.

Little that she could possibly face in life would surpass the sheer terror and loss of this chill evening.

The line between fantasy and reality would henceforth be blurred.

There were more howls. Followed by more screams. Then, more gunfire. A bright spot appeared in the sky, framed by distant drifting smoke before it faded away.

'Sousuke. What are you doing? What have you found? Is it coming this way? Why aren't you here? _Sousuke_...'

Someone had to do something.

The student body was becoming increasingly edgy.

It wouldn't take much to send them into a panic.

"Those noises are coming this way, guys. I don't think we should just stay out here roasting our buns near the fire!" Kaname felt a need to take control. "We should get everybody on the same page. _Fast."_

Her friends around the fire nodded their heads, but when she shouted to people at the other fires, they looked at her as if she were speaking in tongues. This wasn't school. They weren't in class any more. No one was inclined to listen to a class representative or student council vice president.

They were too scared. Too worried.

Rightfully so.

"It's only noises, so far!" Kaname said as loudly as she could. "We should stay in control. Be brave. We need discipline. _**Please!**"_ No one was paying any attention to her.

The noises were too close. The sounds down below were too disturbing. The students' imaginations were running wilder than they were themselves.

The impartial full moon shone down upon them all, casting grotesque shadows on the hard-packed dirt of the camp site. The creeping fog worked hard to erase those ill-defined shapes, blanketing the area square foot by square foot. The tall ancient trees took no notice of the actions around them. Shivering monkeys, clinging to one another in animal desperation, watched will baleful eyes.

Kaname shrugged sadly, her heart filled with disappointment and her spirit weakened by duress. She turned her attention to the people around her own fire.

"We should probably head towards the cabins while we can. Pick up anything that looks like it might serve as a weapons or means of defense. Valor is superior to numbers. And opportunity is superior to bravery."

She felt her heart jump in her chest.

That quote came from Sousuke. Kaname couldn't remember where he had gotten it. Some old Roman guy. The words 'flavor' and 'vegetable' tweaked her thoughts mischievously. She shook her head angrily. There was no time for mental shenanigans.

Even in calmer times she wouldn't have remembered Flavius Vegetius Renatus.

"It is **_not_** a problem..." She trembled after reassuring herself. She never really realized just how safe she felt around Sousuke, despite the fact that his mistakes and judgment often set her on edge.

Still, not being able to recall something he had said-even if it was a stupid useless dead guy's name- made her feel uneasy and irresponsible. He was out there. In the middle of whatever was going on.

Alone.

If Sousuke were here, maybe he could have done something drastic enough to get the mob to work together towards a common goal.

Another quote snuck into her head as she waited for her friends to follow her advice.

'_A handful of men inured to war proceed to certain victory... while on the contrary, numerous armies of raw and undisciplined troops are but multiples of men dragged to the slaughter.'_

No one here had any experience with the fear, danger, and unpredictability of battle. Even those who acted in disciplined fashion at school had thrown that characteristic onto the fires along with twigs, sticks and branches.

The word 'slaughter' echoed inside the confines of Kaname's mind.  
**  
**Her pulse quickened.

Every pore in her body worked at a feverish pace, helping to cover her in a coating of fresh sweat. He shirt clung to the contours of her chest underneath her sweaters.

Her breathing came in short quick bits, as the exhaled cloud of her breath merged imperceptibly with the chill fog. She twitched ever so slightly, her 'Fight or Flight' mechanism trying to convince her to adopt the latter. Her heart strove to burst free of her chest, beating wildly and impatiently.

'Listen to yourself,' Kaname forced herself to think. 'Slaughter? There might not even be anything out there to truly worry about. Gunshots? Even so….'

'_You know Sousuke...'_

A frantic wave of monkeys burst out of the forest. They were scared of the Jindai students, but not nearly as frightened of them as they were of something not far behind them. Their eyes impossibly wide, and saliva trailing out of their open mouths, some monkeys were so spooked that they actually singed themselves jumping through the campfires.

"Perhaps we _should_ begin moving towards the cabins..." Atsonobu's strong calm voice was like a beacon to ships in a foggy harbor. Still, not everyone cared for his advice.

Further down the clearing, a pair of deer rang out into the clearing. One jumped over a frightened girl who fell to the ground, just avoiding a hoof to the head. Another stepped into a small charcoal pit, shattering the bone in its leg. Bleating with fear, it hobbled along on three legs, periodically collapsing to the forest floor before disappearing from sight.

"**_NO! _**We should stay by the fire. Wild animals don't like fire. Grab some of the longer branches. We can use them as torches _hurry!"_ One boy followed his own advice, picking up a flaming tree branch, nearly catching a nearby girl's hair on fire..

"I said I believe that Kaname is right. We should head to the cabins, getting as many girls inside as we can. Only young men should be left outside if there is room for the ladies." Atsonobu adjusted his glasses... grabbed Ren's hand... and pulled her to her feet. He whispered in her ear and pushed her towards a cabin. She hesitated. Her eyes showed that she were worried about him and afraid of whatever was drawing near.

A wild boar skittered this way and that, its eyes crazed and its muzzle red with cuts from brambles and sharp stones. It took no notice of the running humans. There was only one instinct at work. Run. Run more. Run until there could be no more running. Survive.

_**AHHHRRROOOoooooo ooooooo ooooooo ooooo AHHH AHHH AHHH RRROOO ooooo oooooo ooooooo**_

"Screw that!" Another boy took of at top speed, heading for the nearest cabin. He knocked down one girl who stumbled into his path. "Move it you stupid bitch!"

"Go! Run. _Come on!" _Shinji shoved Kyouko, then Mizuke. That broke their trance. "_hurry!_" He grabbed Ryo's hand and nearly dislocated her shoulder.

"What's going on..." Ryo tried to keep up with her friends. It was hard to keep track of them. Every step away from the fires brought greater cold and deeper darkness. Every meter run brought them into a tighter and tighter knot of frantic students.

The herd instinct had taken over. Once a fair number of guys and gals started running, many others followed suit.

Things progressed rapidly from disorder to pandemonium.

_**AHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHH AHHHHHH HHHHHH AHHHRRROOO ooooooo ooooooooo ooooooo**_

"Slow down. Give each other room. We don't even know what it is. There might be something we can do as an organized group. _As a team!" _Kaname shouted herself hoarse, trying to make the best of the rapidly deteriorating situation.

"Get the Hell out of the way, _idiot!" _One charging boy bumped hard into Kaname, sending her tumbling over a folding chair. Atsonobu bent to help her up.

Those actions saved both their lives.

No howl.

Not even a growl.

A furred rocket of sinew and teeth bound out of the forest... over the one fire... past Kaname and Atsonobu... and directly onto the trial of the ruffian. He never had time to look behind him before the beast grabbed him in both arms and leaped back out into the blanket of darkness.

"Nooo I _ahhhhhhhhhhhhargrllllgrlllll_..."

The terrible shout and gurgling sound was followed by snarls, the ripping of cloth, and the crunching of bone.

The sounds pushed the students to the brink of pure mindless action. Elbows were thrown. People were purposely pushed aside or thrown down. The lightless interior of the huts and building that had seemed so foreboding before now reached out its shadowy arms for a loving embrace.

This was like a lottery. Winners had a chance to live. Losers had to face a waking nightmare closer up.

_**AHHHROOO ooooooo ooooooo oooooooo ooooooo ooooooooo oooooooo ooooooooooo oooooo ooooo oo **_

_**AHHH AHHH AHHHRRROOO oooooo ooooo oooooo oooo ooooo oooooo ooooooo oooooooo ooooo **_

_Whatever that fanged monstrosity had been, it was clearly not alone._

Darwin would have been shocked. Not by the beasts, as he was no stranger to the wonders of Nature. No, he would have been shocked. This was _not_ survival of the _fittest. _Watching the Jindai class members, he would have theorized survival of the _fastest_, _most frantic_, and _most ruthless._

Then again, maybe not.

The saying 'be careful what you wish for... you may get it!' was in play. The first escapees who had made it into the cabins stood a good chance of being crushed or suffocated by the teaming mass of bodies following behind them.

"Kaname. Give me your hand. We should go. We can't stay here." Atsonobu helped Kaname to her feet. "This way. Let's use the trees as shields, as best we can."

They both froze. The first beast rose out of the underbrush, a hideous glow in its eyes and a warning growl in its throat. It was not looking for another kill just yet. The hackles on its neck rose, and it snapped its jaws shut fiercely, time and time again, driving the two students back so quickly they tripped over each other and fell.

_It was protecting its meal._

Taking an ankle in its foul drooling maw, the monster ran off into the forest, dragging the remnants of the boy's body behind it.

"Sousuke..." Kaname murmured. She didn't have time to think about him. She just wanted him there.

Two more dark shapes jumped and ran into the campsite. The first leaped off of the back of a running girl, knocking her into the heart of a large blaze. She screamed, her clothes on fire. Her cries quickly died out as the second beast took her neck in its jaws and partially decapitated her head. It dragged the still flaming body into the middle of the clearing, where it contentedly turned around a few times before settling on all fours, beginning to feed.

Kaname couldn't help herself. She fell to her knees and vomited.

She was not the only one.

Man is not the only cruel animal. Not if the one beast was any general representation of its breed. The monster ran just fast enough to drive the running boy this way and that, ignoring the boys and girls it brushed up against when the boy tried to find safety in the crowd.

Finally, the urge to eat overriding the instinct to play, the smallish creature swiped out twice with both claws, ripping open the boys back and sending him rolling across the ground.

He landed on his back, quite conscious. His last moments were spent looking up at the frightful snarling creature, as it stood over him waiting, prolonging his agony. Eternal sleep came when its bite tore off more than half his face.

"_WHAT ARE THEY-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y!"_

The scream echoed across the foggy little hollow. The two visible beasts lifted their heads for a moment. Folding their ears back, they sent their own cries out towards the emotionless moon.

_**OOOOOOO OOOOOO OOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOO **_

_**OOOO OOOOOO OOOO OOOO AHHH OOOOO OOOOOO OOOO OOOOO**_

Suddenly, their posture changed dramatically.

**Bang bang bang bang**

**ooooooo ooooo oooooo uuuuu uuuurrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrr aaaaaaaaaa aaaaahhhhhhhh**

Gunfire. Down the slope, but not at the other campsite. A different kind of howl. It was not in answer to the other howls. It decreased in loudness, tailing off into a near whimper.

The two monsters abandoned their kills. Their fur stood on end. The guttural sound deep in their chests spoke of emotion and anger. Ears flat back against their heads, they looked at one another... at the corpses near them... back at the struggling mass of humanity... then off into the forest in the direction of the dying cry. They ran off in that direction. Silent. One close on the tail of the other. On two legs at first, then on all four.

"While they're gone, everyone listen!" One boy further down the way made his attempt at restoring order. "We have to try and help each other. We have to attempt to protect one another. _Come on!"_

"He's right. We're _not_ animals." A girl added.

"We might stand a better chance if we _were!" _A different boy pulled one girl out of the door in one cabin, taking the last place of safety before the other cabin dwellers shut and barred the door.

"No. _NO! _It's not fair. I was there first. I... was... _(s-o-b) _...there... _(s-o-b) _... first I... _(s-o-b) _... was … _(s-o-b) _... first ..." The girl's tears coursed down her face like water too plentiful for the gutter of a small house.

"Who says they're gone. How many are out there?" Another girl's question was one that no one wanted to ponder. There minds had been pushed far beyond the breaking point by what they had already experienced.

There was the sound of a struggle inside the house. The door opened. A moaning body was thrown out-the boy who had pulled the girl from her place of potential safety. That girl now walked into the building sobbing her thanks. The door closed again with the sound of a sinking reality. Those who now stood closest to the overstuffed edifice were also the furthest away from any other such structure.

Maybe it was time to work together after all.

"The bodies. We can't leave the bodies like that! O God. That's Kimi..." One girl's shouts suddenly ceased when she recognized the tattered remains of a skirt worn by the girl who sat next to her in home room.

"No. Oh, why _him_. It's Kutsumi. The other is Kutsumi..." The captain of the Baseball club recognized the risqué T-shirt worn by his one time left fielder.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion for Kaname.

She saw Shinji push Ryo and Maya into one hut, giving up the last opening to one of them. The image of Atsonobu and Ren wrapping their arms silently around each other seemed straight out of a dream. Caught up in the moment, Kaname involuntarily smiled when the quiet girl lay her head on his shoulder.

Students down at the other end of the campsite were fashioning torches and grabbing large sticks to make into rude spears. Some stood back to back, in areas between closely situated fires. Some were trying to dig under the few huts that sat on short stilts. Most were too frightened to think clearly. They were no more intelligent at that moment than the monkeys, deer, and boar.

Kaname put her head between her knees. It was not fear. It was not nausea. She was not catatonic, and she was not resigned to her fate.

Something hurt in her head. Strange numbers and letters swirled in her mind and before her eyes, as if the entire surrounding world was just her private movie screen. Babbled words pored out from her mouth…… words she did not quite understand, phrases and bits of sentences that she would never recall beyond that moment.

**_Lycanthropy... restriction endonuclease fabrication... genetically modified organisms and human stock... embryonic stem cells... gene transfer between eucharistic and prokaryotic vector cells... site directed autogenesis... argent and quicksilver contingency... expression vector multiplex... forced canine and vulpine genome incorporation...gene product purification for human transmogrification... Human Proteome Organization culpability... DNA introduction by tailored bacteriophages... lunar activation and reinforcement... clone library of original source...  
_**  
The world was spinning. She was so dizzy. Where was she? When was she? Why was she?

As with many of her _Whispered_ moments, Kaname would remember very little if anything of the scientific jargon she spoke. Even if she would remember it, she might never realize what it foretold.

A shadow group had nefarious plans. Scientists were drunk on the idea of playing God. Power players sitting in smoke-filled rooms, dreamed up the ultimate weapon: obedient soldiers... with animal strength, speed, and cunning... and a burning need to rip and tear the opposition. Even the smart can be outsmarted. The vile and vicious will always meet their match. Often, the innocent will suffer as a result of the hubris of those selfish greedy men.

They had chosen the wrong legends as their inspiration.. Their scientists had done their jobs too well. The security and safety measures were a veritable affront to all of mankind.

Somewhere beyond the crest of the mountains, a secret laboratory lay in ruins. Deep in the mountains, a new form of creature signaled its claim for the top of the food chain.

Mechanical weapons can be stopped.

The circle of life is much more resilient.

"Kaname. Can you hear me. Kaname, are you OK? Kaname Chidori, Vice President of the student council. Can you hear me?"

When Kaname's focus snapped back into focus as swiftly as it had left, only two things held her attention. There was a strange feeling deep within her head. She had no idea what it meant.

The other thing was more ominous. Quite deliberately, something made its way into the clearing... slowly... almost majestically... walking on all fours.

It was one of the creatures. Huge. Its fur silver, with slight black tips. Thick corded muscles shifted beneath the silky fine fur. A terrible intelligence blazed forth from its dark black eyes.

It sniffed the air. It listened to distant calls of its kind. Sitting back on its haunches, it opened its muzzle and looked to the sky.

**_O OO OOO OOOO OOOOO OOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOO O OOO OO OOOO OOOOOO OOOOO O OO OOO OOOO OOOOO  
_**  
Kaname placed both hands at her temples.

She looked past the great silvery monster. There were glowing red spots at the fringe of the forest.

One pair. Two pairs. No, three pairs. Make that at least four pairs of red glowing eyes.

"Oh…… Sousuke..."

_Where was he? _


	5. Chapter 5

Sousuke paused a moment to catch his wind.

Each breath _in_ sounded louder than a than a thundering waterfall. Each breath _out_ seemed louder than a straining jet engine.

His body heat could be a beacon to skulking bloodthirsty monsters. The sharp smell of his sweat could be more damning than a trail of breadcrumbs.

On the trip down the hill, he had taken little notice of each step he took...every breath he labored with...every muscle that cried out for attention. Not much about his surroundings had registered on him.

Now, forcing himself to move as quickly as he could up the sloping and unyielding landscape, things were quite different. The adrenalin rush that had propelled him before had burned itself out. Having met the foe face to face, and having taken note of its extraordinary abilities and gruesome proclivities, he couldn't help but view every tree, bush, outcrop, or embankment as a place of concealment.  
**  
**Fear pumped through his heart along with his blood.

His thoughts were strangled by the gossamer strands of desperation. His bodily functions were beyond his mental control. He felt an urgent need. There was no recourse but to answer the call. Fly down, he voided his bladder on the nearest tree, watching it splash and trickle much like the blood had done at the prior encampment.

Even the simplest of acts could draw more creatures to him. But maybe that was a good thing. The more that followed him, the fewer that could terrorize Kaname and her friends. He had played the role of bait many times before. But, in those instances, the bait might be killed, but it wouldn't actually be eaten.

His tired eyes watched the slowly rolling fog, imagining amorphous forms within it. Creatures out for his blood. People from his past. Enemies he had fought and killed. And one particular girl, whose very existence befuddled him challenged him, tugging at his heartstrings the way a woman might jerk on a dog's chain.

A blue-haired girl who needed him.

Howls echoes through the mountain air, coming back from the place he had just left. Either some angry creatures discovered the death of heir fellows, or the ravenous beasts were after the barricaded survivors again.

He didn't wish the other humans ill fortune, but he prayed that the monsters would stay down _there_, at least for now. Who knows how many might be headed in the same direction he was? He was more concerned about the numbers that were headed for the same _specific_ destination.

Frightened monkeys ran past him in one direction. Not much later, a wild boar sow and its two young streaked by him in the opposite direction. A number of roosting birds took to the wing. He even heard a distant grunting noise that sounded like a bear.

The forest was in an upheaval. The night was no longer a time of safety and a chance for rest.

Those animals were not the only ones driven by terror.

Sousuke had nearly died in the grasp of Venom, breaking free of its grasp only moments before the self-destruct mechanism detonated. He had been afraid then.

He had run the gauntlet many times in more countries than he cared to remember, facing tanks, planes, Arm Slaves, and nuclear devices. He had been mere seconds away from contamination with deadly pathogens, and had come close to dying by means of molten metal and liquid gases. He had been afraid then as well.

There had been any number of times when he had seen his own blood pooling at his feet. That had been frightening as well.

One thing was certain, however: None of that could compare to the situation he found himself in now.

Not only did he face a nightmare in the flesh, but he was also forced to struggle against the beast within himself. He had been little more than an animal during his early life. Killing had become more than a _thing to do_…… it had become a _reason to live_. Those feelings waited patiently behind a dam, quietly coaxing him to open the spillway once more.

Weren't those feelings family of sorts? Hadn't they been his father and his mother after his real parents had been murdered? Hadn't they become the playmates his brother and sister never had the chance to be?

"**NO!**" Sousuke's shout echoed through the foggy night. "No! _Please." _His whispers sounded just as loud in his ears.

He was _not_ an animal.

He was a man. A rational being. There were still ways for him to tap into the raw and naked aggression centered within him, without giving control over to his baser instincts. That was what Kaname would want. That is what would serve Kaname the best.

The smell of burning wood was carried on the wind, and rode along with the patient fog. But there was no laughter to be heard. There was no smell of food cooked with friends. There was no feeling of joy or satisfaction one might find with close companions.

Those things should have been there. The trip should _not_ have turned into something like a demented horror comic.

**_AHHHRRROOO ooooooooo oooooooo ooooooo oooooooo oooooo ooooooo oooooo oooooooo ooooooo oo  
_**  
The call was further up the hill. Sousuke looked down at the locator he had pinned to the outside of his bag. The noise came from the direction of his camp.

"Kaname." This time his first utterance was too quiet to hear.

"**KA... NA... M-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E...**" The subsequent shout welled up from deep inside. For a moment, he didn't care who or what heard it. The words were as much a challenge to himself as they were to the creatures that stalked the night.

"**K-A-A-A-A-A-A... N-A-A-A-A-A-A... M-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E- E-E- E-E-E-E-E-E-E**... "

His mind snapped into the sharpest focus. His hands curled into claws, scraping at the bark he rested against. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his heart sped up more and more. He was a battery, a power cell. The fear had now charged him to the point that he needed to release his energy. He had rage to spare.

But, his feelings did not lead him by the nose, pulling him down a path of blind fury and thoughtless action. Quite the opposite. His thoughts came quicker than he could sort through. Facts, evidence, and supposition swirled in his mind, a mental blender.

What exactly was he up against? How exactly could it even exist? Did it have any particular weaknesses? What instincts might he use against them?

_**AHHHRRROOO ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo **_

**_AHHH AHHH AHHHRRROOO AHHH AHHH AHHHRRROOO ooooooo oooooo oooo ooooooo ooooo  
_**  
There was danger ahead. There was danger behind. There was danger _everywhere. _For himself. For everything human.

_For Kaname._

His body twitched with anticipation. He was rested enough to run again. The full clip of mercury-tipped bullets was now in his pistol. He pickled it up from where he had left it. A large combat knife was in his other hand.

Time to move. Time to kill. Time to save those who had come to mean something to a young and lonely soldier.

Sousuke's heartbeat was as loud as jungle drums.

_Thump _

_Thump thump _

_Thump thump thump _

_Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump  
_  
As he over fallen trees and skirted rocky spars, his thoughts rushed down channels of analysis and through tunnels of guesswork. With every step, his will to fight grew stronger. With every breath, his mind reached further back into his memories, sorting through everything he had read, seen in movies, or heard in rumor.

It was like driving a car and daydreaming at the same time. There were two simultaneous visions-the one his eyes actually saw, and the pictures flashing across the screen in his mind. Thoughts that a man might chew on for days sped through his head in a matter of seconds.

The monsters. The creatures. The hideous beasts. Where had they come from? That might help understand what they were!

With each swing of his arm, tortured muscles cried out their displeasure. With each swing of the leg and impact on the ground, his feet, calves, and thighs put in their two cents worth as well. His chest burned with each deep breath. There was a ringing in his ears. His eyes ached and his tongue felt dry.

His thoughts ran much faster than he could. Whole legends, tales, and remembrances ran through his head on 'fast forward.' It was akin to the things people see or think when they say their life flashed before their eyes.

Was that a portent of sorts?

Was his own time winging its way towards him.

Adrenaline served as a fertile medium, as logic trees took root in his conscious thought. There were two big possibilities to consider first- they were of this Earth, or not.

Their blood was red. They did not use advanced technology. Unless they were like the _Predators_ in the movie of the same name… using the planet as a private hunting preserve…the latter fact steered him away from the one possibility. True, they could be the guard dogs or soldiers for an even more terrifying intelligence, but that was stretching the limits of possibility too far for his acceptance.

If they were indeed of this Earth, did more than one Realm exist? Was there a Spiritual world or dimension? Did the fire and brimstone of Hell or similar places truly rest somewhere near enough to his own to allow entrance? Were the stories and legends of his forefathers more than myth or primitive man's best effort to explain the mysteries around him?

_**AHHHRRROOO ooo oooo ooooo oooooo ooooooo oooooooo oooooooooo ooooo oooooo oooooo oooooo**  
_  
The terrible noise was becoming commonplace. How did the mind do that? How could such horror be made to seem passe?

"Think, Sousuke. Stay on target."

Greek myths and legends mentioned _Lycaon_, the first king of Arcadia. He... or perhaps one of his fifty impious sons... had entertained Zeus at a great feast. They set before him a dish of human flesh, causing the great god to push away the plate in disgust. He had killed them with lightning, or turned them into wolves. So one version of the tale went.

In another, the king had sacrificed a child to Zeus on the altar on Mount Lycaeus, and immediately thereafter the sacrifice turned into a wolf. That gave rise to a myth about a man turning into a wolf at each yearly festival dedicated to Zeus-the man would regain his form if he abstained from human flesh for ten years. The term Lycanthropy could be traced back to that awful king.

Could the pantheon of gods actually exist, without making their presence and displeasure know to man over the eons since their worship faded away?  
**  
**Was there a place in this world for any concept of magic?

Jumping over a twisted and broken tree, Sousuke realized too late that there was a drop-off just beyond it. For one terrible moment, he wondered if he had just leaped off or an unseen precipice, hundreds of feet above a rocky death. He had not. Nonetheless, the ten foot fall ended with him twisting an ankle and deeply bruising one forearm. Pain raced throughout his body. He fought to pull his torn clothing off of a series of sharp stubby branches.

The temptation to use a painkiller took hold of him. There was an auto-injector in his bag. No. Any such substance would cloud his mind.

Climbing up a muddy slope, he slipped on some leaves and went down hard again.

"Damn the darkness."

Even the moonlit areas such as this were potentially treacherous. Still, he must get going again, as swiftly as possible. His thoughts needed a jumpstart as well.

He gave them one.

In Chinese and Japanese mythology, the spectral wolf was a very dangerous being, one which would rapaciously destroy both humans and beasts. That was at odds with the tales that implied the _okami_ were the messengers of the gods, especially of _Yama-no-kami_, the Mountain-deity.

In the role of divine messenger, wolves watched over mountains and forests, seeing that there was no undue cutting of trees or poorly placed fires. They worked to prevent the pollution of sanctuaries throughout hill and dale. Were they to find wrong-doers, they would report back to their mistress Yama. If she wished to punish the miscreants, a great string of wolves would descend from the mountains.

Images from the film '_Princess Mononoke' _formed, dissolved, then formed again. He pictured blood on the mouth of a giant white wolf.

**_AHHHRRROOOooooooooo AHHH AHHH AHHHRRROOO ooooooo ooooooooo ooooooooo ooooooooo_**

There was more legends than the movie had touched upon. In some stories, the wolf could take the form of a person of someone it had previously devoured, likely for some nefarious purpose. Such old and dusty tales couldn't have any basis in truth, could they?

Were there ancient and powerful forces at work in the Earth that made the TDD-1 and Arbalest look like the toys of a pompous and misguided waif?

He and his classmates were in the forest. They had created huge blazes. A large number of students were traipsing over the land…… could someone have done something to upset the spirit of the woods?

Part of his mind laughed and said 'ridiculous.' How could any 'spirit of the woods' exist?

Then again, how could the monsters he had seen and fought exist?

Darker possibilities taunted him.

Witchcraft. The occult. Pacts with unholy agencies. The _lycanthropes_ of Greece The _volkodlak_ of Russia. The _varcolak_ of Poland. The _loup-garou _of France. The _werwolf_ of Germany and the _werewolf_ of English speaking countries.

Inexplicably, Sousuke's thoughts derailed, and he thought about a historical footnote.

The _Werewolf Order _was an organization of guerrilla fighters set up in the closing days of World War Two, when Germany was on the verge of defeat. Its leader at the time of the surrender was _SS-Obergruppenführer _Hans Pruetzmann. The Werewolf Order was essentially a resistance movement who fought in uniform. They were also a paramilitary auxiliary of the Wehrmacht. They fought behind the Allied lines to create diversions.

The American soldiers who encountered these fanatical fighters of the Hitler Youth, were appalled to discover that their age ranged from eight to seventeen. But, that did not stop them executing many of them as spies.

Most of the Hitler Youth trapped in the last desperate battle had no intention of becoming prisoners. They preferred to fight on until all of them were killed. Surrender had been _unthinkable._

However, in his first speech as successor to Hitler, Admiral Karl Dönitz ordered all members of the organization to cease operations. This order was obeyed by the surviving Werewolves. But when men of the 8th Parachute Division were sent in by Dönitz to end any possible defiance by the Werewolves, they found most of these Hitler Youth lying dead among the trees. Twenty-four hours earlier their beloved Führer had committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin.  
**  
**Hitler had wanted to make the ferocity and cunning of a wolf his own.

He became almost wolf-like during some of his speeches. His voice sounded gruff, as he barked at the adoring crowds.A favorite companion was a wolf-like Alsation dog. Hitler's pseudonym within his circle of advisors was "Wolf." _Wolfsschlucht_-Wolf's Glen-was the code name for Hitler's headquarters at Brûly-de-Pêche in June of 1940. _Wolsschanze_-Wolf's Lair-was the name of Hitler's field headquarters during the late days of the War.

Hitler obviously identified with wolves. It is hardly surprising to discover the last of his "pack" calling themselves "Werewolves." But could there have been something more than that? Sousuke's thoughts became wild... undisciplined... almost fanciful.

Scientists in Nazi Germany had exploded many boundaries. They had been on the verge of nuclear weapons, and few people knew that the Germans and Japanese had worked together to build a massive U-boat capable of launching aircraft-those aircraft had incorporated within their structure atomic weapons of a different type. Dirty bombs.

San Francisco was the target of a planned strike by the Japanese. The attack had scheduled, and the operation had actually been set in motion. The date chosen happened to be twelve days after the afternoon the first atomic bomb would end up being dropped over Japan. It had been that close.

Those scientists and medical personnel had also carried out **_human_** experiments. Some members of the military had a fascination with the occult. Could some evil genius have developed a means of creating some unholy hybrid of man and beast?

Was it be possible for such creatures to spread around the globe unnoticed? Might some of the beasts been sent to Japan, to help _that_ nation's war efforts. What might such creatures have done in response to a massive invasion of the homeland, had it come? Was there some lost secret to controlling the monsters?  
**_  
AHHHRRROOO ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo_**

"I must focus. Kaname scolds me when I go off on tangents. Kaname needs me now."

Sousuke's words helped him return to his last purposeful train of thought.

Jogging around one cluster of wide trees, Sousuke made use of an established trail that headed in the direction he wanted. It allowed him to pick up speed. His satisfaction was momentarily halted, however. A large boar stepped out onto the path, looking in his direction. It stood stationary, showing no likelihood of fleeing.

Sousuke slid to a halt.

The animal was partially illuminated by beams of light, fading in and out of view as clouds passed across in front of the moon. An animal that size, with those rather serious-looking tusks, presented a serious danger. He couldn't take the chance of an attack, and couldn't spare much time.

Not wanting to waste a mercury-tipped slug, Sousuke reached inside his weapons bag.

Not a moment too soon.

The boar snorted and charged at full speed. Grasping the pistol grip of the TMP, Sousuke squeezed on the submachine gun's trigger, firing through the bag.

The boar fell heavily to the ground. For only an instant, Sousuke put a hand over his belly. He thought of roast pork. He thought of roaring campfires. He hadn't eaten that night.

"Move. I also haven't been eaten. Kaname must not be."

He ran onward, not watching as the ever-reaching fog obscured the body of his erstwhile challenger. Monkeys looked down silently from the trees. An owl hooted plaintively, unconcerned.

His thoughts ran forward again, as well.

Was the large number of myths about shape changers in various cultures merely a result of man's fascination with the power and majesty of the most dangerous animals of his land? Or, might there be a kernel of truth at the heart of it all?

Herotodus spoke of a tribe called the _Neuri_ in eastern Europe. Thy were said to be able to transform themselves into wolves. Virgil wrote of the transformation of men into wolves. Armenian stories told of women whose deadly sins condemned at night to take the form of a wolf for seven years- the instincts they took on with that form caused them to kill and eat their own children... then their relatives' children... and later the children of strangers. In France, during the 16th century, murderers with a fetish for cannibalism confessed with extraordinary readiness to being werewolves, even describing the details of the metamorphosis. In Russian tales, men became such monsters through incurring the wrath of the Devil.

There were countless whispered tales that described how men could become werewolves.

Putting on a belt made of wolf-skin. Perhaps the entire skin. Rubbing magic salve all over the body. Drinking water out of a wolf's footprint. Enchanted streams. Draining a special cup of beer while speaking and repeating a set formula. The actions of some Satanic agency. A child born to a werewolf. Being bitten or scratched by a werewolf. A full moon was required in some stories.

The single common thread was that the werewolf was evil, and had a taste for human flesh. The actions of the creatures may or may not have been evil. Sousuke had little information to go on to make such a judgment. But, he had ample evidence of their eating habits.

Yes.

Werewolf legends likely came about because wolves were often the predator that most concerned man in Medieval Europe. In those earlier days, not yet fearing men, the animals may have been much more aggressive, attacking men and women with some degree of frequency.

They may have been more than simply a plunderer and swift pitiless marauder against grazing flocks of livestock.

Some people may have viewed them as a remorseless enemy of man. Some true tales may have taken on a patina of the supernatural. The latter may have come to be the most memorable part of the stories passed from mouth the ear in hushed gatherings and noisy taverns.

Sousuke's musings jumped ahead, just as he was forced to do, coming across an upended tree laying across the path. The cold night air reached within his torn clothing, causing him to shiver and shake a bit. His mind was warmed by a brief vision of Kaname.

When Christianity arrived in Europe, priests condemned the pagans who were worshipping wolves. They equated the myths of werewolves with Satan. Authorities such as St. Augustine believed that werewolves did not actually change form, but rather deluded their victims with illusion.

"The Devil creates no new nature, but is able to make something appear to be which it is not"

That had been his proclamation.

Sousuke shook his head. St. Augustine should have seen the creature he had killed this night. It did _not_ transform back to the appearance of a man as he might expect-or as the _Wolfman_ movies often showed.

**_AHHHRRROOO AHHH AHHRRROOO ooooooo ooooooo oo oooooo ooooo oooooo oooo oo  
_**  
Now the noises were becoming annoying. They were a sign of a job Sousuke had to do, a job that was far from finished. He should have stayed at his own camp. He shouldn't have left his fellow students defenseless. It didn't matter that students were not supposed to bring weapons on a camping trip.

He had done so.

"No time for recriminations. Do not make it more of a problem than it already is." His mind continued its analysis.

The Church's proclamation had **_not_** dammed up the river of legends... it opened the floodgate. Werewolf scares spread across Europe like the plague. The people of the time did not have Communists, Islamic terrorists, nuclear weapons, or computer hackers to go hysterical over….. they had to make do with witches and werewolves.

There were over thirty thousand reports of loup-garou in France between 1520 and 1630. Sensational trials did nothing but fuel the phenomenon.

In 1589, a series of wolf attacks occurred in the duchy of Westphalia, in what is now northwestern Germany. Those looking for the ravaging beasts came across a man named Peter Stubbe who was walking in an area where a wolf had supposedly vanished. Under the dark cloud of ignorance and superstition, the incident took on overwhelming proportions. A number of people claimed that they had cornered a wolf... set their dogs on it... and attacked it with sharp sticks. The wolf didn't run away. Instead, it stood up and turned into a man. Peter Stubbe.

Under torture, he confessed.

Broken on the wheel…… and his flesh torn with hot pincers…… he told of the murders of sixteen individuals, including two pregnant women and thirteen children. He claimed to have been obsessed with sorcery, practicing the art since the age of twelve. He had even made a pact with the Devil. He took the form of a wolf and attacked with great brutality, tearing victims' throats and sucking at their warm blood.

The savagery of his confessed crimes was beyond imagination. Young girls who played together or milked their cows in the fields were his frequent victims: he would chase them like a hound... catch the slowest one... rape her and kill her... then drink her hot blood and eat her tender flesh. His most gruesome crime struck close to home. He claimed to have taken his own son to the forest... cracked open his head... and eaten the poor boy's brain.

His legs were broken. His head was cut off. That head was placed on a tall pole, made to have the features of a wolf. His carcass was burned to ashes. His daughter and mistress were burned alive.

Word of the trial and execution spread across the lands. People began believing that creatures with the shadow of wolves lived among them. But that was all legend and misunderstanding, wasn't it? There was nothing there that modern man couldn't explain away, right?

At times in Europe, various forms of food-borne illness struck, including Ergot poisoning: the fungus growing on rye plants could have caused mass hallucinations, hysteria, and paranoia, all due to an LSD-like substance. It could have caused individuals to **_believe_** they were a monster, or may have led entire towns to believe they had seen such a beast. Ergot poisoning had even been suggested as a possible cause of the Salem witch trials in America.

But, it did not explain the prevalence of such legends in vast areas that did not have Ergot.

Other researchers pointed to things like rabies, hypertrichosis, and porphyria-known medical conditions that might explain violent behavior, excessive hair growth, or an odd appearance to the skin. There is even an actual rare mental disorder called _clinical_ _lycanthropy_, in which the affected person has a delusional belief that he or she can transform into some form of animal, not necessarily a wolf.

The spiritual concept of _therianthropy_ involved people thinking that they had the spirit or soul of a wild beast. Historians would also point out that when ancient societies lived in fear of some animal, they fantasized about becoming that animal.

Sousuke could see small glowing points of light up the slope. He was getting close enough to see the camp! Not too much longer now. He hoped to have enough strength left to stand and fight when he got there.

He prayed there would be people alive for him to fight for.

"Keep moving. Must keep moving. No time for another break."

Secret deeds and desires always attract storytellers. But, the creatures that Sousuke faced were _not _stories. Stories do not tear people apart and feast upon their dead or dying bodies. Could the legends be true, at least in part? Did modern man, no longer fearing wolves, dismiss legends that told of a threat that still walked among them?

**_AHHH AHHH AHHHROOOooo oo o ooo oo o ooo oo o ooo oo o ooo oo o ooo oo o ooo oo o ooo oo o  
_**  
Alien beings. Spirits of the land. Unholy creatures.

Sousuke's mind fought hard to deny such possibilities. They _couldn't_ be true. He did not want to _accept_ them as true. But, if those were not the answer, what _was? _Was it any less unrealistic to believe that some natural creature could exist unseen for long stretches of time, in an age where science ruled supreme and populations were expanding to every corner of the globe?

Saquatch. Yeti. The Loch Ness Monster.

None could be proven real.

'Science ruled supreme.'

_Science._

He briefly thought back to his thoughts about Nazi scientists. There was no need to stretch things that far. Why should he! He was an Arm Slave pilot. He had first hand experience with the Lambda Driver. He had spent long hours aboard a miraculous undersea craft. The wonders of Black Technology may have become more commonplace to him than the bloodcurdling howls, but he had not lost his sense of awe about the mysterious knowledge.

Could such hidden secrets…… and the bounty of the Whispered…… be applied to the biological realm as well as the mechanical?

It was a scary thought.

Did it fit the frightening reality he now faced?

If so, what exactly _were_ the beasts? What unknown physical or mental abilities might they possess? Would conventional weapons kill them, or might someone have built in physical fail-safes?

The possibilities ran rampant in his mind, so much so that he had to clamp down hard, stopping any further analysis or origin. Only one major consideration faced him.

Could they be killed. If so, how?

_Silver? _

There were argent items in his bag.

_Mercury? _

He still had one clip and part of another remaining.  
_**  
**Wounds that destroy the heart or the head? _

He could do that. That would be an aiming priority.

_Salt water? _

There may not be time to create any, and he doubted the cooking supplies they had brought had sufficient salt.

_Holy water? _

He had none, and no means to get any.

_Exorcism? _

Werewolf tales spoke of little success there, and spiritual beings protecting the forest would have nothing to exorcise. It didn't matter, neither he nor any of his classmates were priests.

_The wood of an ash tree? _

Those trees dotted the hills, competing with the towering pines and firs for light. No, the stories said that climbing such trees might help one avoid supernatural danger, not conquer it.

_Cold iron bar to the head? _

What exactly **_did_** cold iron equate to in this day and age? Did he really want to get that close to one of the creatures? Could he expect it to stay nice and still for him?

The question of time also begged for attention. _Why? _Oh! Were the creatures merely nocturnal, or did the cycle of the moon actually play a role?

Would he and his companions be safe if they could make it to morning?

Sousuke grimaced, looking at his watch. There were almost six hours until sunrise. Even the few minutes he had faced the beats before had seemed like an eternity.

What? Something! Sounds. Where? Coming! More than one? Yes! Together? No, from different directions!

His senses snapped to the forefront. The time for reflection and planning was over.

"_Lupus in fabula." 'The wolf in the tale.' S_peak of the wolf and he will come. "_Aureus_ _teneo lupum_." _'I hold a wolf by the ears.' _I am in a dangerous situation and dare not let go.

The Latin quotes were the last thoughts that Sousuke would let allow his mind. The time for thoughts had passed. It was once again a time for action.

It was time to fight. For life. For Kaname.

**_AHHHRRROOO oooooo ooooo oooooo oooooo ooooooo ooooo oooooo ooooooo ooooo oooooo ooooooo ooooo  
_**  
That sound did not come from the approaching entities. Those were very quiet, but not quiet enough.

"I am coming, Kaname. Be well. Please be well."

Whether by means of intelligent thought and communication, or the workings of natural instinct, the two creatures that left the camp and left their kills behind were closing in on Sousuke from two different angles. One would usurp his attention while the other would follow shortly thereafter, hopefully finding him easy prey. The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.

They same could be aid for werewolves, or whatever name one wished to give the fearsome products of unwise scientific manipulation.

"No waiting. Make my own advantage!" Sousuke chose one sound and began running towards it. They would meet head on, at a place of his choosing.

The question of the food chain would not be answered: he had no desire to feed upon his foe. Dominance was another point entirely. He had something to learn.

Perhaps he also had something to teach.

"Ignore fatigue. _Run!" _He took no notice of his aching muscles or the weight he still carried. Leaping over obstacles, he felt as if he were an animal himself. The feel of the pistol grip and the knife handle was negligible-it was as if they were a part of him, bonded in absolute continuity. They were his teeth, his claws.

Entering a huge moonlit patch of forest, Sousuke felt as if he had just entered an arena. He was a gladiator walking into the Coliseum for the first time. The trees and stones were his audience. His first opponent's body shone in the glowing beams as it leaped, fangs bared and taloned fingers spread wide.

A huge clawed hand swiped close to Sousuke's face. His slashing knife struck across the abdomen of the beast, coming out red and sticky with blood. The creature landed, snarling. It leaped again without a moments rest. The mouth closed loud like a bear trap, coming away with some of Sousuke's hair.

**Bang bang**

One shot missed. The second hit the monster in the shoulder. It rolled to the ground in pain, a startled yelp leaving its black drooling lips. One ear stood up. It had detected something.

So had Sousuke. The other creature was not far behind. No time to waste. It was _his_ time to charge.

"_Now!" _He ran, then took a risk. He sat down on the ground. It was the right move.  
**_  
GRRRRRRRRRRRR rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr_**

The first monster jumped again, its arms wide, determined to grapple with its victim...hold it tight... then tear out its tempting throat. It grasped nothing but air.

Reacting as the beast streaked overhead, Sousuke fired at point blank range.

**Bang bang bang.**

The monster landed on its feet, then turned. It growled. Then it shifted slightly from side to side. Blood fountained out of its mouth. Crimson red trails ran down its pelt, glistening in the moonlight. It wobbled, fell, and bit at the ground. Clawing its way forward, it tried to reach Sousuke.

It died.

**_AHHHRRROOO ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo  
_**  
The second creature had seen its pack mate die. It made no pretense at subtlety. The human genes used in its creation had given it more than intelligence. They conferred upon all such monsters all of the strengths and weaknesses inherent in man's anger.

It leaped and swiped. Sousuke had stood and backed up against an unseen and unwanted tree. The bests claws ripped off huge chunks of bark, leaving deep furrows in the wood. The young sergeant had ducked just in time. Landing, the creature had left itself within Souske's reach.

"My turn!" Sousuke could have fired the M1911 at its back. His own emotions and instincts took over. This was somehow personal. It was almost a duel, with honorable rules. He wanted the kill to come at his **_own_** hand. Moving incredibly fast himself, he brought his knife down, driving it deep into the creature's spine.

The reflexive swipe of the monster's arm hit Sousuke hard in the face. He was thrown hard against the tree, sliding down to the ground. Fortunately it had been a backhand blow. Still, his lip felt torn and blood ran down from his mouth.

"**GRRR rrr.**" That noise came from Sousuke as he brought himself back to his feet.

The monster was silent as it leaped into the darkness, looking to use the night to its advantage.

"Damn!" Sousuke didn't want to play this game again. There wasn't time. He had heard the howls coming from up the hill. They had stopped, but were starting again, in greater number.

He had to get to Kaname.

He dropped his bag, intending to take out the thermal goggles again. The monster struck.

One hand gripping the tree, it swung around and used a move that was very much un-wolflike. Two furred feet struck Sousuke in the back and knocked him away from his bag. His gun fell from his hand... struck a rock, giving away its location... then fell amongst the moist leaves.

Sousuke rolled painfully across a sharp fallen tree branch, scraping his cheek against a patch of brambles. He scrambled to his feet as quickly as possible, unarmed. His knife was the only thing that saved his life then. It had done its job, if incompletely. The beast was not paralyzed, but the arm and leg on one side were weakened and its actions were slowed considerably.

An overhand blow was visible only because the beast's arm passed through a huge shaft of moonlight. The claws tore through Sousuke's shirt, just missing the skin beneath. The force of the attack broke the stout tree branch into smaller pieces.

Grabbing one piece of wood, Sousuke rammed it hard into the creature's mouth, intent on shoving down its throat. It was a desperate reaction, but might buy him some time.

He succeeded, just barely removing his hand with all fingers intact.

As the monster worked to keep from choking, Sousuke ran towards the location of his pistol, seeing a glow of light reflecting off of something metallic. He leaped. But, something grabbed him around the ankle, jerking him to a halt in mid air. He fell hard to the ground, his breath knocked out of him.

He fell short of the gun. He rolled over on to his back. He saw the airborne monster descending upon him, teeth first.

"_Shit!" _Sousuke swung his legs upward, avoiding the fanged snout and impacting hard on the creatures massively muscled chest. The move catapulted the beast over him, giving him another lease on life.

The creature landed and turned, snarling louder than before. Fury burned hot in its eyes. A tongue protruded and licked its lips. The fingers on its hand flexed slowly. Its toes did the same.

**_AHHHRRROOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO_**

It charged. Fighting for breath, Sousuke did the same. He caught each clawed hand in his own, and just managed to duck under the snapping mouth of his adversary. Head against its chest, he rammed a shoulder into its midriff and pushed it backward. It struck the scarred tree hard. The knife in its back was driven in even further.

**_OOOO OOOOO OOOOOO OOO OOOO OOOOO OOOOOO OOO OOOO_**

With unbelievable strength, the creature broke free of Sousuke's grip, sending him flying. The young soldier struck his head on a rock, dazing him. He was stunned and could not move. His vision was blurry. The furred monstrosity started forward. He was momentarily defenseless.

The creature spasmed. It fell to the ground. Its limbs continued to twitch briefly, then went still. The knife blade had transected its spinal cord.

Sousuke stumbled to his feet too soon, then fell again, ending up with a mouthful of dirt and moss. Spitting the stuff out, he coughed and stood again. Still a bit light-headed, he walked over and picked up his pistol. It was unnecessary. The beast could not move and did not present him with any further danger.

Still, he walked over to it and looked it in the eyes. For a moment, the monster's ferocity vanished-those eyes widened for a second, looking up at its opponent. Then they shut. The beast started to howl again.

**_AHHROO-_**

**Bang**

The bullet that blew apart its head and splattered its brains all over the tree and forest floor ended that act of defiance.

There was no time to rest on his laurels. There was no thunderous applause from the audience. His prize was simply being the victor, able to continue living and keep on fighting.

He needed to move, as quickly as his aching body would allow.

"I'm coming, Kaname."


	6. Chapter 6

Kaname shivered.

She felt so very cold…. to the depths of her bones. It was more a mental and emotional feeling than a physical one.

For a brief moment, she stood motionless, numbly watching the chaos spreading throughout the campsite.

The moon, relentless, shone down on the clearing, making everything look like a page out of a grim and daunting fairy tale.

Students ran…… screamed…… hid…… prayed…… and fell to their knees crying. One group of boys strove with every ounce of strength they had to break into one of the secured cabins, intent on throwing out those young ladies who were frantically cowering inside. She fervently prayed that they would not succeed.

The only things that were moving were her classmates. There scurrying was aimless and unproductive, less organized than an ant nest after it had been stirred with an intruding stick.

A flash of color caught her attention.

The large silver creature leaped up on a large rock, sat back on its haunches, then put its head on its hands. Eyes closed, it lifted its massive head skyward, as if sniffing the breeze blowing through the camp. In a sense it _was_ testing for scents, but not physical ones.

Catching hold of a mental odor, it opened its eyes and slowly turned its fanged snout towards Kaname. It stared at her, unblinking. Time seemed to stretch on forever.

Kaname flinched. There was an unfamiliar pressure in her head. Compelled, she looked directly at the large male. Not knowing how she came to the conclusion, she suddenly realized that there was some common origin to her and the beast, no matter how far down the genetic ladder.

Whispered.

There was a feel of the Whispered about the beast. Why? What did it mean?

There was no way for her to know that some of the human captives used as genetic stock had been undiscovered _Whispered_. There had been no way for the ethically challenged scientists and planners to realize the magnitude of that unwitting mistake. All it had taken was some wild variable in a carefully planned biological equation to throw everything off.

Kaname shook her head hard. Beginning to feel dizzy, she banged her head against a nearby tree, hard. _Once. Twice. Three times. Then a fourth and a fifth._ Tears came to her eyes, but she felt more in control of her mind and body when she was finished. Nevertheless, a sense of disbelief washed over her.

This _had_ to be a dream. This _had_ to be some kind of crazy nightmare. _Maybe_ she was unconscious. _Perhaps_ she was a prisoner in some hidden facility, drugs coursing through her veins, her mind and thoughts under someone else's control.

Maybe these were all fears, doubts, or guilt dredged up deep from within. When she woke up, she would try to figure things out.

Right?

RIGHT?

She froze. The large alpha creature stood, and licked its lips. The pressure inside her head was lighter, almost touched with a sense of amusement or condescension. It almost seemed as if the monster was pleased by her confusion and disbelief.

She struck her head against the tree again, trying to drive unwanted visions from her head. She did _not_want to see the creatures. She did _not_ want to see her fellow students becoming a mindless unruly mob.

None of what she saw made any sense. How could any of this be real? If it were real, wouldn't Sousuke be there too?

She kept whispering 'wake up, girl,' but nothing changed. The large creature still sat on the rock. Seated on either side of it were four more adults on the left, and five on the right. Two small creatures fought, tumbling about making yelping and yipping noises. They leaped, snarled, danced away, then paused, eyes glued to the humans. Then, it was play time again.

Young.

A small voice spoke in the furthest corner of Kaname's brain. _'They can breed. Whatever they_ _are, they can multiply.'_ A louder voice drowned that one out. It questioned Kaname's sanity. It asked why she was having such terrible delusions. Did she hate her classmates that much? Should she have watched the monster movie marathon with Sousuke the past Friday?

"Kaname. What are you doing? Why are you just standing there." It was Atsunobu's voice.

She snapped out of her trance, immediately wondering how on earth she could lapse into some mental quagmire when corpses lay bleeding and a row of impossible beasts sat watching them all.

"I'm OK. It's just that I don't know what to do. I _always_ know what to do. But….. not now." It was true. Kaname had faced thugs, bandits, gangsters, terrorists, and an unpredictable and altogether too energetic young mercenary. None of them had truly fazed her, although Sousuke stretched things to the utmost limits sometimes.

This was different.

There was nothing to compare with this.

"I just can't believe it's true. My mind keeps fighting me."

"Mine too." The student council president nodded his head, his face exceedingly pale.

"Maybe we should be like them," Ren said, pointing to a group of boys with makeshift weapons, torches, and trash can lids held out like shields. They may have taking steps, but their actions were unorganized and indecisive.

"Yes," Kaname said. Keeping her eyes on the creatures, she slowly backed into the forest, looking for a long stout branch. Finding one, she handed it to Atsunobu. "Here._ You're_ the guy, right?"

Kaname and Ren actually smiled briefly. They knew all too well that Atsunobu was **_not_** a puppet to stereotypes and gender misconceptions.

Kaname found herself a stick. She didn't expect it would make any difference in the long run, but it gave her something to focus on, something to place an infinitesimal bit of faith in.

Atsunobu looked down at the pistol situated inside his waistband. He was unfamiliar with weapons of _any_ sort. Might Kaname be better equipped to deal with it than he was? Shouldn't Sousuke, with his military prowess, have been sharp enough to see that? Yes. There must be another explanation. He thought he happened upon it. If Kaname held the gun, she might be likely to put her efforts into protecting everyone else.

Sousuke wanted her protected specifically.

"Shinji, why don't you come over here? There's more cover between these trees." Ren had been looking about the clearing, seeing how many of her closer friends she could locate. Fortunately, many had made it inside of the huts.

Shinji, a large sharp rock in his hand, stood still, backed up against the door of one of the small houses. His mouth opened and closed, but he didn't say anything. He didn't make any effort to move. Was he too frightened? Did he feel as if he needed to protect Mizuke, Ryo, and Maya?

Someone kicked a rock, hard. It flew off into the woods, prompting some hiding birds to take to the wing.

"That's what was bothering me! _Now_ I remember." Atsunobu looked disgusted with himself. "Those trees over there are ash trees. In some of the European legends I read about, certain types of creatures would_ not_ follow their intended victims up ash trees. It's worth a try. _Who knows? _Maybe the monsters can't even climb."

He helped Ren make it up to the lowest branches. When she had climbed up a bit, he tossed her a stick. Then it was Kaname's turn. She climbed a different tree, getting a birds-eye view of the clearing area.

"Aren't you going to climb?" Ren asked the boy she had a crush on, her eyes extremely worried looking.

"No. Kaname's right. I _am_ the guy. I will guard the base of your tree, in case they can climb." Atsunobu looked up at Ren, then removed his glasses and cleaned them on his shirt tail.

Ren teared up. Kaname felt a lump in her throat.

She would have given anything to have Sousuke here, guarding her tree.

"_W_-what _k_-kind of creatures?" Ren asked, remembering Atsunobu's statement. "What _k-k-_kind couldn't climb ash trees?"

"I probably shouldn't say any more," the boy answered, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "The real things are bad enough. I don't know why they're just waiting there. It's making everyone even_ more_ frightened and confused, if that's possible. I shouldn't say anything that might make things worse."

"_Please,"_ Ren said. She wanted to hear his voice, regardless of the subject. She needed something to distract herself from the horrible reality at hand.

"Witches..." Atsusnobu stopped there.

Ren looked at him, obviously unsatisfied.

"And werewolves..."

Ren was not familiar with the term. Kaname was. She trembled, almost dropping her stick. How could she have missed thinking about _that_ possibility? She had seen enough monster movies while staying in America. The creatures even looked a lot like the creatures in the more realistic horror films. It couldn't possibly be something like that. There had to be a more reasonable explanation.

Didn't there?

A whimper came from Shinji's direction. He was obviously aware of the werewolf legend.

Kaname couldn't help herself. She felt a need to examine the fell beasts. How could they just sit there like that? Their hunger was almost a tangible thing. Red eyes kept following the movement of their prey. Drool hung down off their lips like liquid ice sickles. Clawed hands clenched and unclenched. Tongues darted in and out.

Kaname could somehow pick up an eddy of thought. No... plural ... _thoughts_ emanating from more than one source. Them. Those creatures.

The urges were strong. How could they resist it as they did? Feeling the same urges by proxy, she strove not to vomit. The monsters wanted to rip out throats. They needed to hamstring their victims and chew on freshly exposed viscera and claw-carved meat The muscles of the calves were their favorite delicacy, but the meat of the thighs went furthest to sate their continual need to feed. Other bits of flesh and organs had a special attraction, a means to clear the palate.

'Clear the palate?' That was the closest Kaname could come to interpreting the impression she got.

"No. Why? _Why!"_ Kaname struck her head hard with the stick. Stars came to her eyes.

Their thoughts were animal, but had some twisted sense of humanity about them. It was gut-wrenching. Some had been thinking of humans as if they were delicacies. Could there truly be something akin to humanity in their make-up.? Might they be werewolves after all?

In any case, their discipline spoke of a high level of intelligence, or a powerful sense of hierarchy.

Why were they waiting?

Were they allowing others of their kind to catch up? Could they be taking careful note of the situation, looking for any possible dangers? Might they be purposefully raising the level of tension in the students, making them less and less likely to be able to mount any kind of organized resistance?

"_Enough!"_ Kaname put her hands over her eyes. Her thoughts were mixing with those of the monsters again. Their thirst was terrific. The desire to drink hot red blood was pushing their ability to obey the alpha male to the breaking point. She saw one of the smaller adults start to rise from its crouch, inching forward.

_**ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RR RR RR RR R R R **_

One deep and echoing growl from the large silver beast was all it took to make the smaller creature whine and move back into position.

"Blood," Kaname whispered. "Blood."

The alpha beast turned to look at the mother to the young monsters.

**_GRRRR RRRRR RRRRR RUFFFFF_**

The female creature made a barely audible noise, then butted both young with her lowered head. Timid at first, they moved forward on all fours.

"Hunger. They're so hungry. So _terribly_ hungry." Kaname shivered, a trickle of sweat running down her back.

**_GRRRRRR RRRRRR RUFFFFF GRRRRR RUFFFFF_**

The call from the silver male brought the young up short, quivering. The mother nuzzled them, then cuffed them lightly with her clawed hands. She began to run upright. Her offspring followed suit, picking up speed and confidence with every ten yards covered. Soon they were streaking along, furry bolts of lightning.

If Kaname survived, she knew she would never forget what she saw next. She wished she had kept her eyes closed, or her fingers in her ears.

The mother beast charged ahead, covering ground quicker than her pups ever could. She headed straight towards the largest group of students, easily avoiding those with fire in their hands or anything that might prove a threat to her young. Frantic, the screaming high schoolers ran in various directions, no clear destination in mind. They just needed to run. Instincts told them that the slower or less agile amongst them would be caught. They themselves might have longer to live.

"Meat. Prey. Nothing more. No remorse. No shame." Kaname's eyes went glassy for a moment. She felt her pulse speed up, matching that of one of the animals. She saw her breath cloud up in the chill night air, her breathing keeping pace with one of the beasts.

**_ARRR RUFFF ARRR ARRR RUFFF ARRR ARRR ROOOO OOOO OOOO_**

The mother-beast's vocalizations spurred the running boys and girls even more. Some simply ran off into the dark until they ran into something or fell hard to the forest floor. Others tried to scramble up trees, ill-equipped for such a poor decision…… it was unwise to slow down. One boy even tried knock other runners to the ground purposefully, trying to improve his own chance for survival.

The view was surreal. Bodies disappeared or wavered, as humans and monster ran into and through shifting waves of fog. Gone one moment, they miraculously reappeared, before blurring again. Their shouts and screams were constant, regardless of how substantial they appeared to the human eye.

"_No no nooooo!"_

"_Oh God. Please God. Pleaaase!"_

"_I can't...I can't... I can't... I can't..."_  
_  
"Not yet. Oh no. Not yet. Please. Someone. Please."_

_**RUFFF ARRR RUFFF AROOO OOO OOO OOOO OOOO OOOOO OOOOO O OO O OOO **_

"Playing with them. Using them. Driving them like cattle." Kaname bit her lip, frightened at the overwhelming mixture of animal instinct and near human intelligence. She caught herself.

'Near human?' She had no way to truly judge whether their intellect was inferior, equal, or superior to that of humans. Did she _really_ want to know the answer?

Monkeys screamed from the tops of a number of the highest trees, leaping from one tree to another recklessly. Some threw down twigs, pine cones, and leaves at humans and monsters alike. Others defecated and flung their droppings.

Human cries, screams, and pleas merged with the barking, huffing, and howling of the running monster and the raucous noise of the monkeys. The insistent hooting of a large owl added an eerie counterpoint.

The young were paying attention to their mother's every move, watching and listening as she drove certain humans away from the others and explained the manner of determining which prey might be infirmed, poorly conditioned, or frightened to the point of increased vulnerability.

Those unlucky few who were separated from their running comrades knew a greater fear. Some had a sense of the inevitable doom shadowing them. Still, they clung to every second of life still remaining.

"No. Oh _no_. Run. _Please_ run faster." Clinging to her tree, Kaname watched the game play out with a sickening sense of certainty. She knew what was going on, even without picking up on more lupine thoughts. The mother was teaching her young how to hunt.

Soon, she would teach them how to kill.

This was not a lioness showing her cubs how to take down a gazelle. Those were people down their. _Her classmates._ Some of the people weaving between trees, rocks, and shrubs might be her close friends. For a moment, she bowed her head, stunned by an errant thought. Were they facing man's successor?

Was there a new king of the hill and lord of the forest? Could this be nature's way of cleansing the earth of mankind's misdeeds and foibles? _No!_ She would _not_ believe that. Men had weapons. Mankind was intelligent enough to make a stand.

Sousuke had weapons. Where was Sousuke?

Could he be the main course on some creatures menu? Or, might the monsters' earlier reactions be an indication that at least one human was showing the arrogant marauders the error of their ways?

_Please._

Sousuke. _Please_ be alright. Please come and set things to right. You've done it before. Why not now?

One portly boy had difficulty keeping up with his swifter classmates. Holding his side, he stumbled, righted himself, and ran awkwardly, trying to gain some momentum by pushing himself off of trees.

He was well beyond the normal limits of his endurance. The end was near.

**_ARRR RUFF RUFFF ARRRRR UUUUUUUUUUR RUFFF_**

Bending as she ran, the female creature swiped with one paw, knocking the boy's ankles together and tripping him. It was an effective method of taking down prey.

Looking down at the frightened boy, she growled. Her ears went straight up, and she took a number of steps forward, then back again. Her jaws snapped with a resounding 'clack.'

Grabbing at the soil with both hands, the harried student got to his feet and started to move as quickly as he could.

"Help me. Somebody please help me. I don't want to die..." His heart-wrenching plea had Kaname in tears.

"Run. Keep running, Sano!" Someone nestled in the branches of short and stout tree called down encouragement.

Other voices called out in encouragement. "Run Sano, like there's no tomorrow. You can _do_ it. I _know_ you can do it. Don't give up now..."

"Sano! For your mother. Run, Sano. _Run_..."

Thinking of his mother, the boy brought his hand up to his mouth. Tears fell to the ground below. He stumbled again. The female beast began running, moving with an easy loping stride. The two young creatures followed close behind her.

A number of the scattered Jindai students stopped for a quick breather. Some looked at the trapped boy with sorrow and sympathy. Others watched with a temporary feeling of relief-that could easily have been them.

Kaname had the burning desire to strike back at the werewolves, or _whatever_ they were. The name didn't matter. They were killers. Eaters. Predators. They were using one of her fellow students as a teaching device. She had no doubt how things would end. Still, she couldn't tear her gaze from the nauseating spectacle.

**_OOOOOOOO AHHHH ROOOOOOOO_**

The adult creature sprinted forward and leaped. Two clawed feet struck the boy between the shoulder blades, knocking him face first into a patch of large flat rocks. He stood up, wheezing, his nose a shattered ruin. Blood ran down his face and neck. The young beasts ran up close to him, attracted by the smell.

The mother swatted them back a stride or two.

**_AHHHHHH ROOOOOOOOOO GRRR GRRRR GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR_**

The she-beast began to walk forward slowly, eyes focused on her intended victim. The boy walked backward, bumping against a tree. His eyes widened, before he closed them altogether. He had no illusions left to hold onto.

"Get away! Monster! Get the f-ck away!"

"Yeh! Go! Get back!"

"YAH! YAH! YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A group of boys had gathered enough courage to form a group. They carried torches, some of which they threw towards the adult monster. One struck her in the head, sending small sparks floating down onto her shining fur. She turned her gaze on her attackers briefly, then continued her slow advance.

"Run, Sano. Come on! Run towards us..."

A large rock hit the she-creature square in the back. She let out a startled yelp, then squared her shoulders and started to growl.

One larger beast started forward-possibly her mate. A low-pitched howl from the alpha male stopped him.

"Get them. The smaller ones should be easier to hurt!"

One of the young creatures was pelted by a shower of rocks, a pointed stick, and a torch. Other thrown objects littered the ground around it. Whining, it ran up to sidle against its mother. The adult creature turned and looked at the large silver beast. His mouth opened briefly, soundlessly.

He dipped his head.

Two of the larger males burst forward, dirt and clumps of moss thrown into the air by the clawed feet. Their speed was phenomenal.

"_Look out!"_ Kaname shouted as loud as she could. She heard similar warnings coming from different locations throughout the clearing and surrounding woods area.

The first creature ran low to the ground, ignoring any possible threat the cluster of boys might offer. It knocked hard into their legs, bringing a number of students hard to the ground. The second beast followed directly behind it, leaping. One clawed hand swiped, ripping out the wind pipe of the nearest boy, sending a spray of blood away from his collapsing body. One clawed foot struck another boy in the groin, tearing fiercely and briefly, sending the boy to the ground in unbelievably agony. The young creatures looked on, rapt with fascination.

Kaname felt close to passing out. It was too much. No one should have to witness something like this. Terrorists, as terrible as they were, made **_some_** kind of sense to her. These monsters did _not_. She came close to wetting herself, unconcerned by any form of embarrassment.

"Run...you have to run... It's your only chance..."

Kaname recognized the voice. It was Tsubaki Issei. He was somewhere further up the hill. She remembered him and his club members thinking the mountains would be a great place to get some martial arts practice in.

They had all packed a lot of misconceptions along with their clothing, it seemed. But who could blame them? How could anyone have predicted _this?_ Even Sousuke and his overactive sense of paranoia couldn't have dreamed up these beasts.

Sousuke.

"I hope you're safe, Sousuke..."

One boy rammed his stick hard into the back of a beast. The makeshift spear snapped, but not before causing a small wound. The victory was short-lived, however. A backhand swipe by one creature knocked the courageous challenger to the ground at the feet of the other beast. A fierce thrust of its muzzle and powerful snap of its jaws tore out one half of his throat. He was left near death, gurgling out his final words. The following melee was one-sided, brutal, and swift. For those still able to watch, the action was too fast to follow.

Two powerful arms brought furred palms together, cracking the skull between them. With on beast on each arm, a boy was torn into pieces. His scream ended when a double swipe left him headless.

A swing of one paw followed by a slash by a clawed foot left a pool of intestines spreading by one speechless victim. A vicious strike by one beast severed a boy's spine in the lumbar region. He fell paralyzed to the ground, left alive by the satisfied monsters. The brief danger to the young had ended. Both furred monstrosities ran back to take their place in the silent but watching line of figures.

Sano hadn't moved. His eyes were open, glued to the face of his hunter. He was too afraid to even think straight. Both legs felt as if they were ready to collapse. His bladder contracted and his sphincter relaxed.

**_URRRRRR RUFFFF AHHHHH RUFFFFFF_**

The female brought her young's attention back to the lesson at hand. The rapid attack they had just witnessed was far too advanced a lesson for youthful creatures. There were important and basic things to learn first.

With a fast lunge, she clamped her jaws tight on the quivering boy's throat. A twist of her head broke her prey's neck and threw the body to the ground.

He never had time to make a sound.

**_AHHHHH RUFFFFFFF AHHHHH RUFFFFF_**

A slashing technique was demonstrated. The head lay partially attached to the lifeless body.

**_GRRRRRR RUFFFFF_**

Another swipe of razor-sharp talons opened the abdominal cavity.

After the body was turned over, the back of one knee was struck with what would have been a crippling blow. A well-placed bite behind the other knee was of equal efficacy.

**_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO AHHHH ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_**

Both young looked excited, but tentative. They looked at each other, and then looked at groups of humans disappearing into the forest. Then they turned their gaze downward.

**_GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRR RUFFFFFFFFFF_**

Their mother cuffed each sternly, causing them to cringe and whine.  
**_  
OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOO_**

Both smaller beats took off running in different directions. It was time to try out the things they had been taught. Their bodies quickly passed out of view. The effects of their hunt were well within earshot. Howling and snarling soon gave way to screaming and wailing. Then, all was silent.

The successful hunts for the two young seemed to send a signal. Kaname's heart began pounding again as she saw all of the adults shoot off like missiles, each targeting a different area of the camp. She couldn't follow it all even if she wanted to. Even if each beast took down only one person, the resulting carnage would be devastating.

"Let us in...please... you have to... they're _coming_..."

"Not me... Oh, don't let it be me... anyone but me..."

"Go away. Leave the door alone. We can't fit any more. Save yourself and run..."

"No...Oh,no... no no no... _no-o-o-o-o_..."

"We're trapped in here. Trapped like rats. They can just wait for us to come out. We'll never get home alive..."

"Shut up... shut up... _Shut up! _Shut the hell up or I'll throw you outside..."

"I... don't... want... to... die…."

"We don't have much time left... we should share these moments together..."

"Damn you Shirai, keep your hands off of me!"

One door opened briefly, long enough for Shirai to be unceremoniously booted out onto his rump. Looking at the drastic scene unfolding around him, he jumped up and started pulling on the door handle.

"I'll pay you. I'll pay each and every one of you. _Whatever_ it takes..."

Throughout the camp students dealt with the knowledge that death ran rampant around them. Those that could see the approaching menace, wished that they couldn't. Those in the sweaty and cramped darkness of the shelters were scared close to tears by what they couldn't see.

In this case, their imagination was **_not_** worse than reality.

The student politician in Kaname took over briefly. She couldn't image anyone having to make phone calls to the authorities. Who would believe the tales? She broke out in tears again, wondering how parents would find out about the end of their children's lives.

Soon enough, however, she had something of her own to worry about.

If she had been standing, she would have doubled over in pain. The sharp ache inside her head had her seeing flashes of light. She retched. Each limbed twitched involuntarily, once, twice, three times. She fought hard to control her bodily functions.

The silver beast got to his feet. As if out on a leisurely stroll, he began to walk forward, looking up at Kaname's tree. The pink and black splotched tongue hung out of his mouth, highlighting a languid lupine grin. It took little notice of the bloody massacre in progress.

**_GRRRRRR RRRRRR RRRRRR RRRRRR RRRRRR RRRRRR RRRRR RRRRRR RRRRR RRRRRRR_**

The sounds of its subordinate creatures filled the night. The beast seemed not to care. Kaname had a more personal concern. She may well end up like the unfortunate souls whose cries she heard.

"Ahhhh, _ooooo noooo grglgrgllllll_..."

"Go, O God, O God..."

"Somebody please..."

"I... No..._arrrgggllllgrgll_l..."

Those unforgettable cries filled the other campers with escalating levels of capitulation and revulsion... dread and despair... inspiration and necessity.

Blood splattered against one hut, as a girl was split lengthwise down the middle. Her arms swung out in an involuntary embrace of sorts, shocking the nearby boy who once had a crush on her. Screams from inside the structure showed that the relatively safe students were freaking out as well.

Kaname took no notice of any of that. Her eyes watched what she believed would be her own doom.

One distant creature obviously took the idea of sheltered prey as a personal affront or an instinctual challenge. It threw its body hard against one of the cabin doors. The wood began to splinter, but held fast. Another leap widened the defect and heightened the beast's eagerness. Again and again he buffeted the door with his full weight and strength, until it gave way with a resounding sound.

A boy looked up at an unholy sight, the last thing he saw being the dark outline of an inhuman head silhouetted eerily by the fires far behind it. A horrid crunch filled the room as wide jaws took hold of the sides of is head and closed like a vice. The girl behind him…… the next person with the dubious privilege of being closest to the great outdoors…… looked on with shock as the monster dragged away the boy who had once been her older brother's best friend.

The silver beast stopped a moment, checking on the progress of this latest foraging raid. Content, it looked back up at Kaname. Smiling, it fractured the night with an amazing howl.

**_AHHHHH R-O-O-O-O-O -O-O-O-O-O-O- O-O-O-O-O-O- O-O-O-O-O -O-O-O-O-O -O-O-O-O- O-O-O-O-O-O-O -O-O-O-O -O-O-O-O- O-O-O-O-O- O-O-O-O-O-O -O-O-O-O-O- O-O-O- O-O-O -O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O- O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O -O-O-O-O-O- O-O-O- O-O-O-O-O-O-O- O-O-O-O-O-O-O  
_**  
Whatever they were doing, each other creature stopped, then belted out an answering howl.

It sounded like the most unholy of choirs.

_**AHHH RRROOOOO OOOOOO OOOOOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOO OOOOO **_

**_Ahhhh Roooooo oooooooo ooooo oooooo ooooo ooo ooo ooo ooooooo ooooo ooooooo oooooo ooo oooo_**

Calls came in from distant points along the mountain chain.

The alpha male resumed its fateful advance. Kaname whispered "Sousuke," first as a sign of hope... then as a plea... and finally as a farewell. She wished more than anything that she could have said face to face.

She felt an urge to kiss her absent protector goodbye, something she wouldn't have otherwise had the nerve to admit to herself.

There would be so many opportunities lost this night.

She fought hard, climbing up into the highest portion of her tree's crown. Leaning out over the cushioning leaves, she tried to focus on anything but the silver monster. She didn't know if it could climb trees, but its confident approach directly towards her spoke volumes.

From below, she heard a tender admission. An answering sob came from somewhere in the tree next to hers.

"Ren. I will do what I can to stop it. If I do not make it, I just wanted to say that you are important to me... more than I can say... I wish we could have had more time..." Atsunobu put his spear aside and took the pistol Sousuke had given him out of his waistband.

Tears streamed down Ren's dirt-smeared face. She mustered up a bit of strength and mouthed the words "I love you..."

Off across the clearing, Kaname watched in horror as a number of creatures began dragging off bodies. Perhaps they were intended as food for those creatures too injured to hunt, or those who might be guarding infants at some lair.

The other creatures saw no need for patience. They ripped, shredded, lapped, and chewed, great animal sighs of contentment whuffing out of them now and again. One pair even playfully batted a head back and forth between them. It was almost as if **_they_** were the ones enjoying a relaxing picnic in the hills.

Her mind flooded with too many images to take in, Kaname did happen to notice a number of the creatures begin marking trees at the edge of the clearing. Others began digging at the dirt, looking as if they were digging pits. Would they bury the remains? Or, was this a way to keep their kills away from other smaller hunters and scavengers?

One of the pups from before ran back into the clearing, a complete set of intestines trailing behind it. It tumbled over an exposed tree root, rolling, entwining itself in the gory remains. It was a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare. Nothing like this could possibly exist. Nothing.

**Bang bang bang**

Atsunobu targeted the alpha male, firing the Glock 26 from ten yards away. Every shot landed long or wide. The best continued moving slowly, making no effort to dodge or shift.

**Bang bang bang.**

A number of shots kicked up dirt from in front of its feet, but it took little notice. It smelled the fear and panic coming from the boy. Contemptuously, it gave the equivalent of a lupine laugh, and then bounded high over Atsunobu's head, landing heavily on one of the lower thicker tree branches. Powerful leg muscles sent it springing higher, again and again. Branch after branch bent under its considerable weight.

**Bang bang bang**

Atsunobu's shots threw chips of wood here and here, but missed his intended target. His next shots would go elsewhere, as one of the beasts noted that the pack leader was under attack. It began running towards the gun-wielding boy. Another joined it, peeling away at the last moment.

The second wolf headed straight towards Shinji, its blood speckled muzzle opening for the kill. At the last moment, it wheeled and took the boy next to him.

**Bang bang bang**

Desperation is a good drill sergeant. The next three shots each hit the bounding menace, two puncturing its shoulder and the third hitting squarely between the eyes. The creature yelped, tripped, and tumbled over and over again, landing twenty feet from its killer. With one last effort it sprung, teeth snapping shut just inches from Atsunobu's foot. The other monsters stopped their current activities, turning to look in his direction.

**_A-H-H-H R-O-O-O-O O-O-O-O –O-O-O-O O-O-O-O O-O-O-O-O O-O-O-O-O –O-O-O-O –O- O-O-O –O-O-O-O O-O-O-O –O-O-O-O_**

The communal howl was followed by a growing chorus of growls. The hair on each beast stood on end. Their ears twitched. Mouths opened and closed. One of the prey had dared strike back.

He alpha male did not pause in his ascent. Given the closeness of the smaller branches, he was climbing now rather than leaping. He could see a dark shape above him. The smell of his prey had him salivating unstoppably. Wet drops of clinging drool stuck to the tree, oozing ever so slightly before surface tension took over.

**_OOOOF OOOOF OOOOOO_**

The creature made quick sounds high in its throat, the heightened level of hunger spurring it higher and higher.

Kaname grabbed her head between her hands. The pain was excruciating. How could that thing be transmitting on some mental wavelength that affected her? Did it somehow sense she was _Whispered_. Was **_that_** why she was being singled out? She had not seen any of the other beasts make the obvious greater effort to climb trees after cornered boy and girls.

"Sousuke. If you're coming,_ please_ hurry..."

**_OOOOOOOOOO OOOOF OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_**

The silver creature made a prodigious jump, launching itself across space, landing on a larger cross bough. There was more room to maneuver comfortably on that other side of the tree.

A glance beyond the tree showed larger and larger groups of running students, some of whom took the time to grab their gear. They were running back down the hill, not sure of where they were going, but filled with a need to move. The attention of the monsters set on someone else, they took what little chance they saw.

A single bound brought the alpha male within twenty feet of Kaname's dangling legs.

"Kaname, can you climb any higher?" Atsunobu's shouted question left Kaname feeling desperate. The higher branches wouldn't hold her weight. She didn't bother answering.

**_URRRRRRRRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR_**

A short hopping motion brought the huge beast onto a branch fifteen feet away from the cowering girl. The branch cracked, causing the predator to slide downward a bit, its claws leaving deep rents in the bark of the ash tree.

"Kaname, your stick..." Ren had the presence of mind to call out a suggestion to her friend. She didn't continue looking in her direction. The remaining creatures began walking slower in her and Atsunobu's direction, their arms held out far to the side, curving forward.

The beast rubbing up against Shinji as it fed unintentionally knocked him to the ground as it started forward.

Given a purpose…… even a fleeting one…… Kaname felt a renewed desire to persevere... to continual fighting... to _live_. She waited until the climbing monster was four feet from her, and then thrust out with all her might. The beast took the spear in its mouth, breaking it in two with a powerful bite. Its climbing continued.

Before she knew it, the creature had come within arm's length. It paused, grinning at her, leaves looking like a wreath around its great shaggy brow.

"Kaname. Try working around to the other side of the tree. If you can get past the monster, start coming back down." Atsunobu considered running himself. Not because he had any hope of escaping a chasing pack. If they followed him away from Ren, she might have a better chance to survive.

**_GRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRUUUFFFF URRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR_**

The beast in the tree blinked repeatedly, then opened its mouth. Kaname could sense its deepest thoughts. It was hungry. She was special, different than the rest. A fitting prize for the leader. It was time to feed.

Kaname opened her mouth, but found she had nothing to say. She didn't see an avenue of escape.

**WHUMPPP! WHOOOOOSH!**

A blinding light filtered up through the trees tightly packed branches and leaves.

Some of the leaves on the outside of the tree began to smolder and burn. Down below on the ground, a group of three monsters who had been advancing close to one another were screaming in tremendous pain. One looked like nothing more than a living flame. Another batted at its face, its head blazing like a furred torch. The other rolled on the ground, shrouded in thick white smoke and dotted with glowing white specks of phosphorus.

Huge streamers of smoke and glowing particles gave a falsely festive appearance to the campsite momentarily. Frightened students and shocked monsters all stopped to marvel at the miraculous flower of light growing at one edge of the camp site.

The explosion and actinic glare startled Shinji out of his near comatose condition. "What...where...where are we...how can this all be real... why... Why..."

His gaze fell on a solitary figure advancing out of the woods, a large bag hanging down from one shoulder. He should know that person somehow. His mind was too muddled to think clearly.

**Bang bang bang bang bang.**

As Kaname watched in disbelief, the alpha male shook in pain, red splotches forming over its side and back. A small puff of smoke issued forth from one bullet wound. The subsequent howl of pain and disbelief shook the very tree around her.

**Bang bang**

The additional shots took it on the head and arm, stunning the beats. A small explosion tore open the impacted limb, throwing tufts of hair and a spray of blood over onto the nearest vegetation. The wounded nightmare fell down some distance, before grabbing one branch with taloned hands.

How could someone hit that monster, shielded as it was in the tree? Who could be that lucky... or that _skilled?_

Kaname felt hope well up inside of her. Could it be?

Her question was answered.

"You will NOT touch Kaname."

_It was Sousuke._


	7. Chapter 7 Finale

Time had slowed again.

If he wanted to, Sousuke could have tracked the path of each single grain of sand falling through an hour glass. His surroundings were unreal. The tableau was straight out of a fiction story.

A lone man-armed as much with determination as he was with weapons- stood at the edge of a life or death conflict, watching the other participants with a strong sense of detachment.

His perspective was wide enough to do whatever was necessary, but his primary focus was narrow.

A damsel in distress looked on, beset by something too powerful to resist and too fast to escape. She meant the world to him, even though he didn't consciously know it He had to protect her, no matter the cost.

Other people-almost relegated to the status of 'extras' by his unwavering one-track mind-were spread throughout the scene, but did not register as individual persons. At least not at the primal level…… the part of him that seethed and burned, barely kept under control. Evil coalesced in his awareness.

The principal components of that evil were shocked and unnerved by the actions that marked **_his_** arrival. They were frightened and uncertain. They were also hungry and enraged.

A truth would soon be imposed on them.

Something even more dangerous than their kind walked the forest this night.

It was almost a question of will. Who would move first? Which side would impose its desires upon the other? What hand would control the roll of the dice?

Sousuke breathed in deeply, taking a moment to savor the smells of the night. He could allow himself that. It gave him a sense of being one with his surroundings. The long inhalation calmed his nerves. The prolonged exhalation stiffened his resolve.

There was the scent of burning wood. Food was charred and over-cooked. Damp moss and leaves accented the odor of pine needles, rotting wood, and the distant diffuse smell of approaching rain.

_Blood._

He also caught scent of blood. That was _not_ a source of fear or revulsion. It was an altogether too familiar thing to him. It added a sense of reality to an otherwise other-worldly setting.

That scent would be stronger, soon enough. He would see to that.

_But, it wouldn't be human blood this time…._

The sounds of the night augmented the regular beat of his heart, strong in his ears. Low guttoral growls passed between edgy monsters. Frightened and nervous human chatter carried on the thick night air.

The moans of unseen victims spurred brief visions of soldiers dying on countless battlefields. There were insatiable feeding noises of those beasts too driven by hunger to be wary. Gentle wind rustled the uppermost leaves of the deciduous trees. More forceful gusts bursts rushed past the majestic growths, adding their own inorganic whispers and howls to the dark scene.

He heard a whisper above him.

"Sousuke," the voice said, ever so faintly. "Oh Sousuke."

It was Kaname. She was worried. That was not a problem….. as long as she was safe... as long as she remained alive.

His sense of touch was magnified and refined at the same time. The texture of his shoulder strap could be felt through his shirt. The cold steel and vulcanized rubber of his weapon sent disparate sensations through his loose but ready fingers. His toes rubbed up against the ends of his boots. Wounds throbbed here and there. The sporadic swirling wind tickled the sides of his face. His nose itched.

He moved his feet slightly. The firm but pliable soil gave him a sense of connection to the earth. It was a different feeling than sitting in an Arm Slave. He belonged in the world. He had a right to survive. So did Kaname. So did the others.

The young soldier had been in that place between thoughts before, many times. In most instances, his driving urge to win and survive had helped him out-duel other men, many of whom were bigger, stronger, smarter, or more experienced. A quicker reaction here. A better-placed shot there. A charge where a retreat made more tactical sense. Instincts. A disregard for his own safety.

Many things had made the difference.

He should also light a candle and burn an offering to _Luck_: it had served him equally as well. In this isolated corner of existence, he needed _that_ commodity more than ever before. He had greater use for it than the distant mass of humanity snug in their homes and busy in their frivolous meanderings. This place. This moment. These foes. They were what mattered now.

The fear should have overwhelmed him. It did not.

The sheer enormity of the situation could have weighed heavily on him. It did not.

The cold and clinical whisperings of statistics and probability should have prompted him to see reason. They did not.

He wanted to live. Very much so.

Even more, he wanted the enemy to die.

Most of all, he wanted to save Kaname. His reason might be cloudy, but the imperative was crystal clear.

For that night, he would be Beowulf, faced with countless Grendels.

Woe betide them all.

"**_NONE OF YOU WILL HARM KANAME_**... **_NOT_**... **_WHILE_**... **I**... _**LIVE!**"_

It was time to move. More creatures could be on the way. The monsters spread throughout the camp-site had lost the advantage of momentum. He would not be so careless, now that he had a good sense of the who's, what's, and where's. There were no other sounds for the following few seconds.

His strong voice carried throughout the forest, echoing down the long and rocky slope. A number of creatures whined with indecision. Others barked short barks, trying to buoy their confidence.

Sousuke threw his bag to the ground in challenge, but not before putting the sling of his TMP around his neck... placing his pistol in his pocket and knife back in its sheath... and pulling out two fragmentation grenades.

He kicked the bag extremely hard, lofting it airborne in the direction of a speechless Atsunobu. As it landed on its side, silver objects spilled out onto the dirt.

Pins fell towards the ground.

Handles flipped through the air, drawing the attention of the sharp-sighted monstrosities. Two small pineapple-shaped objects landed at their feet, innocuous looking, without any sign of worrisome scents.

"**_YOU ARE A PROBLEM_**. **_I DO_** **NOT_ LIKE PROBLEMS."_** His voice flittered and danced between towering trees and squat cold mounds of mottled stone. His glance had taken in everything he needed to see for one final time:

Kaname high in a tree. A large silver beast swinging by its arm... somersaulting through the air... landing in front of the slavering mass of monsters. Clear avenues of approach and optimal lines of fire.

"Make whatever shots you have left count. Test the efficacy of silver items. Lead by example." Those were the only words he said to the president of the student council, who nodded his head in return. "Hold fast, Kaname." His words caused the blue-haired girl to hug the tree, wishing it was him.

"**_EVERYONE ELSE, IF YOU WISH TO LIVE, EARN THAT PRIVILEGE. HOWEVER YOU CAN. THE ONLY THING NECESSARY FOR THE TRIUMPH OF EVIL IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING._**"

He started forward, marking certain areas across the clearing. His careful steps kept him outside of the projected blast radius. Sousuke wasn't the only combatant spurred to immediate action.

Their initial uncertainty and fear under control, a number of beasts began running towards him, from different angles. A classic pincer attack. He wouldn't have expected anything less. Speed was of the essence. He had that to spare, despite being sore and winded. Kaname was nearby. She was in danger. She needed him.

"Sousuke, look out...they're-" Kaname didn't have time to finish her warning before the two grenades went off.

**W-H-A-M!**

**B—A—N—G—!**

Shrapnel fragments whizzed about the site, doing grievous damage to anything near the center of the blast radius.

_**OOOOOF URRRRRRR**_

_**OOOOOOOO **_

_**URRRRR OOOOO**_

One creature was torn asunder, huge tufts of fur and skin jumping off of it bones as the jagged bits of metal ripped at its eyes, gums, and softer exposed areas.

Another monster wailed horribly, blinded. Its ears hung on to its head by short threads of skin and one arm displayed a huge mangled flap of flesh and tendon.

Two other bests rolled frantically across the ground, biting instinctively, acting as if they were trying to fend off some large creature that was savaging them with its claws and fangs. Dirt, leaves, and small twigs stuck to the blood streaming down along their fur.

Stung worse than any bee could sting, a number of the less seriously wounded monstrosities jumped away and ran back a fair distance, trying to make sense of the situation. Some growled and snapped at each other, their animal instincts moving to the fore.

"Dammit Sousuke!" Pieces of grenade had buzzed close to the top of Kaname's head. Leaf fragments and bark particles rained down upon her. Her response had been innate.

_**GRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRR**_

The alpha male escaped the blast without much additional damage.

Still, it was seriously wounded. Nothing had _ever_ done that to him before. Nothing had _ever _pulled it away from a pending kill. Nothing had _ever_ injured a significant number of its pack mates. The look it turned on Sousuke promised a prolonged and painful death-slow feeding while he still breathed.

_It slunk away into the forest, awaiting its opportunity to strike_.

Sousuke was oblivious to Kaname's exclamation and the near palpable enmity projected by the leader of the beasts. He had not caught sight of Kaname shaking her fist. He did not see the alpha male leave. There was no room whatsoever for distraction.

He was in the zone.

Two flanking creatures ran with a heavy sideways tilt, clawing up huge chunks of soil as they streaked along wide loping arcs. A central beast came on slowly, looking for weaknesses and openings, trying to judge Sousuke's tendencies. It had to slow itself down somewhat, hoping to arrive around the same time as its pack mates. That reasoned and appropriate behavior was its undoing. Sousuke was not about to wait.

"_Mistake!"_

The Mithril agent shouted as he ran forward.

**Rata tat rata tat rata tat rata tat rata tat**

The creature did not dodge. Its reactions were too slow. It had not been witness to anything that happened between the soldier and others of its kind.

How could it have predicted the effects of modern weaponry or the skill of the man it faced? Prey rushed towards it instead of away-that was a new and unexpected event. It chose to take a flying leap, arms extended, hoping to tangle up its foe.

**Thwop thwop thwop thwop thwop**

As soon as Sousuke found the proper distance and line of aim, he ran a series of bullets up along the body of the beast, calmly stepping a bit to his left and ducking as the creature flew past in sudden distress. Blindly, he placed the gun over one shoulder.

**Rata tat**

**Thock thock thock**

The final shots were a nail in the monster's coffin. A look of disbelief on its furred face, it crumbled to the ground, mortally wounded.

There was no time for self-congratulation. Gambling on the state of his first foe, and hoping it was not playing possum, Sousuke quickly lifted its body as a shield. There was no time to fend off both creatures at once. He fired his submachine gun while he still could

**Rata tat rata tat rata tat**

'_OOMMPPHH !'_ Air ushed from Sousuke's lungs.

One creature's mouth closed on its dying comrade's throat just before its body slammed it against Sousuke, knocking them all to the ground.

_**RRPH RRPH HACKKK OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**_

The beast howled its fury, spitting out a mouthful of flesh from its own kind. The other beast fell hard to the ground, multiple bullet hits slowing its advance.

"Sousuke!" Kaname was afraid for Sousuke. She had good reason. The weight of two creatures held him down, as did a set of claws that passed trough one pants cuff and into the ground. His gun arm was free, but there would be no time to swing it around before the enraged beast struck.

"_Kaname!"_ Sousuke shoved with all his might. He could move the pile- but not in time.

**Bang bang bang**

The snarling creature that was pinning him to the ground jerked backward, a fresh wound showing on the side of one cheek, and one other on its shoulder. Regaining its determination soon after ducking in shock, it plunged forward, jaw open.

Atsunobu's shots had given Sousuke the time he needed. Swinging his TMP around, he fired point blank at the monsters head.

One of Sgt. Major Mao's favorite sayings was _'I'd rather go down the river with seven studs_ _than a hunderd shitheads.'_ He couldn't recall the source. At that moment, he temporarily placed Atsunobu's name under 'studs.' Revisions could come later if necessary.

**Rata tat rata tat rata tat rata tat**

**Shump shump shump**

One edge of the advancing beast's head dissolved in a cloud of blood and bone fragments. Exposed brain matter stuck to the moss and leaves on the clearing floor after it fell heavily on one side, a pitiful whine coming from its mouth before it went completely silent.

The other creature hadn't gone away to lick its wounds. It leaped, a subtle trail of blood streaming off in scarlet beads behind it.

**Bang bang bang**

Atsunobu's shots all missed.

**Bang bang bang.**

**Whomp WHUMP WHUMP**

Sousuke's shots did not.

Laying on his back, head pressed hard against the ground, Souske fired at the airborne target. The angle was odd. The view left him somewhat disoriented. But, with the monster's approach angle, he couldn't miss. The only question was whether or not the creature would live long enough to return the favor.

Sousuke had switched over to his pistol. The mercury-tipped bullets caused grievous wounds, blowing bits of fur, muscle, blood, and bone from both sides of the hurling terror. Even with part of its face missing, one limb hanging uselessly, and a gaping wound in the chest, it bounced and rose again, intent on Sousuke's death.

**Click click click**

The clip was empty. Sousuke's efforts had fallen just short.

"_Noooooooooooooooooooo!"_

Something fell heavily through the tree, landing on the creature's back just as it began to spring again. It was Kaname, a series of fresh scratches lining her face courtesy of the trees branches. Once she found herself on a huge growling lump of fur and muscle, she was at a loss. She hadn't thought that far ahead.

Kaname made it onto the 'stud' list. Well, maybe not. Sousuke would need to find a better label when there was time.

If they both lived...

"Kaname. Run!" Sousuke, Ren, and Atsunobu spoke at the same time. Atsunobu threw a heavy candelabra, striking the monster on the side of the head. The ornamental centerpiece bounced over to where Sousuke could pick it up. One of the prongs was bent.

The monster whirled, instinctively going for the nearest threat. Its jaws snapped shut a hair's breadth away from Kaname's nose. It opened its mouth again, claw wrapped with Kaname's hair. Kaname owed Sousuke her life. Not because of his act, but because of the habits he formed in her.

Not even thinking just what she was doing, the blue-haired girl landed a tremendous slap on the side of the monster's face, knocking its head aside just as it was about to lunge. The beast did not fall backward as Sousuke often did, but its brief withdrawal bought her some time.

"Moron!" The word also slipped out by habit.

"More are coming!" Ren's simultaneous exclamation was accurate. The silver beast had gotten some of the more seasoned creatures under control. They were running towards Sousuke and those near him.

There was a particular quote that Sousuke was fond of, from General Dragomirov in 1890. The words ran through part of his mind, and he found himself shouting them as he used a heavy silver object as a club:

'If your bayonet breaks, strike with the stock...'

**WHAM!**

'If the stock breaks, hit him with your fists...'

**THUD!**

'If your fists are hurt, bite him with your teeth.'

**THUNK!**

Souske would save his teeth as the last resort. He repeatedly struck the beast on the back of its head. The monster fell heavy against Kaname, knocking her off her feet. It was no longer intent on biting or rending anything. The back of its skull was caved in.

"Here."

Sousuke spoke flatly, dropping the erstwhile club by Kaname's hand.

A deft practiced motion ejected the spent clip from his pistol. Another familiar motion loaded the partially full clip that remained. He brought his gun around carefully, the adrenalin beginning to frost his vision. These next shots would have to count more than any he had taken before.

'Execute every act of thy life as if it were thy last.' Marcus Aurelius' quote was quite appropriate at that moment. Any miss would be his last act.

Time slowed even further than before.

The first beast took one step. Two steps. A third step. Its posture changed, suggesting it was about to pounce.

**Bang**

**WHOMP-P**

The bullet flew in its mouth, blowing a huge hole in the occiput as it exited. One down.

The next beast was on its third step. Its body tensed slightly as the eyes narrowed and the jaw opened.

**Bang**

**WUMP-F-F-F**

The bullet hit at the junction of the snout and eye region. The explosion blew the lower jaw bone out of place and drove the jellied eye back into its brain. Devoid of consciousness, the body stumbled involuntarily, and then began flopping like a beached fish. Two down.

"Sou-"

The third creature was pushing upward, its last foot leaving the ground. A long lash-like run of slobber ran back from its mouth like the tail of a kite. Claws spread as wide as possible. Ears fell flat against it head.

**Bang bang**

**Thud WHAM-M-M!**

Some philosophers might consider these monsters to be heartless creatures. They would be right, in regards to that one particular leaping horror. One round hit its chest, doing serious damage without exploding. The following bullet blew up, expanded rapidly, and sent fragments throughout the unfortunate beast's chest. The rapidly beating heart became a colander for one fraction of a second just before it became a moist red pulp.

"-s-"

Sousuke had stayed still, his two arms locked, creating most stable platform possible. As a result, he could not step aside in time as the third lifeless beast bounced hard off of him, knocking him to his knees. Looking up, he saw the silver creature barreling down at him like a freight train out of control. He brought his gun in line with its head.

**Click click click**

Empty again. No time to reload.

_This was it._

"-kayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy..."

Kaname had made a valiant run. Her arms held out in front of her, she pushed the large monster away from Sousuke at the last moment. The snapping jaws and swiping claws barely missed. It tripped over the soldier's outstretched leg. One claw caught in Kaname's blouse, pulling her down behind it.

Sousuke, Kaname, and the alpha beast landed within arm's reach of each other.

"H……….e………r………e….." Atsunobu's voice called out, seeming to stretch on half way to forever.

The Glock tumbled quickly through the air. Sousuke thought he could read the engraved markings as it flew.

He caught the gun just as the beast moved.

One platter-sized hand slammed Kaname hard to the ground, rattling her teeth and piercing the skin of one breast. Blood welled up and began to stain her shirt. She screamed in sudden pain.

The enormous mouth opened, showing a collection of teeth that would have made a shark envious. The snout thrust straight towards Sousuke's unshielded neck.

The young soldier acted by gut reaction. No sane person with time to think would have taken the same course of action. He shoved his hand into the monsters slavering mouth, firing his pistol directly into its gullet, trying to angle a shot up through the brain pan.

"Eat this!" He had no time to cringe at the cliché sound of his words.

**Bang bang bang bang click click**

Powerful jaws, almost mechanical in their impressive strength, closed as the same moment that metal slugs began tearing through bone and soft tissues. The way that Sousuke held the gun kept his hand attached to his body, but it did _not_ keep him free of harm.

"Ahhhhhhhwwwwwww..."

Sharp fangs penetrated partially into his lower forearm, skidding across his bone and evoking wave after wave or excruciating pain. He saw a curtain of red before his eyes, almost passing out. Even closed to death, the alpha mail shook its head, trying to dislodge the foreign object and drag its tormentor down into death with it.

Souske just managed to pull his hand out in time, watching as the monster hacked and spat, pushing the gun out with a powerful thrust of its tongue. Blood flowing rapidly out through the back of its head and neck, the beast locked its gaze in on the young Mithril operative. It readied itself for one final leap and a pair of fearsome swipes.

"I..."

_Whose voice was that?_

Sousuke's began reaching for his knife. He realized there was no time. He knew the blade would not turn aside the weight of the creature. And, no more wounds were needed. The action was automatic, the last effort of a fighter.

"...hate..."

Was that Shinji? Shinji!

_**GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR R R R R R R**_

The monster jumped, huge calves and thighs launching it as if augmented by a steam catapult.

Sousuke's hand touched the knife hilt. Kaname looked on, her eyes glued to Sousuke's face.

"...you..."

Yes, it _was_ Shinji.

During the battle, he broke away from his blanket of self pity and pessimism. Something inside him shouted, telling him to live. He _had_ to fight, if only once in his life. Picking up a large stick, he ran, holding the branch like the lance of a jousting knight.

The bespectacled boy could not reach the battle in time to make a difference with the first beasts. But, he did arrive at the precise moment that the alpha male had gone airborne. Leaning with all this might, he rammed the end of his stick into the beast, trying to push it off course. The impromptu weapon snapped loudly, stinging his hands and sending a jolt up his arm.

One clawed hand still hit, driving deep into Sousuke's side, tearing the muscles between his ribs. He and the monster fell to the ground. They looked eye to eye for a moment, kindred souls of different species. Both breathed heavily. The creature smiled a lupine smile and died. Sousuke nodded his head. It had been a monster, and an enemy of sorts. It had also been a warrior, a leader.

"We d-did it. We really d-did it." Shinji was close to babbling incoherently. His uncharacteristic rage was wearing off, and his fear was taking hold again. He began to shake uncontrollable, on the verge of soiling himself. What had he done?

"Yes, Shinji. We did." Atsunobu said.

The vast majority of the creatures had stopped milling around or darting here and their with uncertainty. One of the larger remaining beasts was fiercely attacking some of the others, getting them in line. Even worse, more dark shapes began to materialize out of the fog, the unending line of glowing red eyes suggesting that huge numbers of monsters on the way.

"We did well. Close your eyes and rest now. It will all be over soon." The Student Council President was speaking to Ren now.

Even after watching Shinji, none of the other students had followed suit. Not a single one had rushed forth to offer support. They had all been taken aback by Sousuke's frontal assault. Their bodies and minds were numb, unable to take any more in.

To some, it was like a video game with no end. There was no way to push the 'off' button. There was no way to reset. All of their life counters were down to '1.'

It looked like that would change at any moment.

Sousuke struggled to his feet, part of his shirt hanging like shredded red tassels. He stood looking at the reinforced monsters, their postures once more indicating confidence and expected dominance. The fate of his fellow students looked grim, as did his own. He had few regrets. The struggle had been a just one. He had done his best.

"Kaname..." He walked over to the blue-haired girl and offered her his hand. She stood uneasily, gasping as her wound sent another searing bolt of pain through her. "There is something I should say..."

He needed to speak fast. The final charge would come soon. Furred bodies would flow across the clearing, like an irresistible wave on a sandy beach. Their lives would all crumble away like a sand castle.

"Yes..." Even in pain and facing her death, Kaname's eyes opened wide, brimming with tears. There was something she wanted to say too.

"I... uh... wanted to tell you..."

"Yes, Sousuke..." Kaname stepped closer to him, eyes locked on his. Neither saw Ren begins to shimmy down from her tree, intent on spending her last moments by Atsunobu's side.

"You...uh..."

"Yes..." Kaname closed her eyes and tilted up her chin, lips parted. Time was moving ever so slowly for her now.

"Uh..."

"Sousuke. Me too. _Me too_." The words would be coming now. If only she could hear them once before she died.

"Kaname... uh... you really fought well. I'm so proud of you. You can fight by my side anytime."

"Yes, me too. I think I lo-" Kaname stopped, eyes snapping open, oblivious to the monsters streaking across the clearing in every possible direction. Screams began again. Howls split the night.

"**_W-H-A-T?_** " She froze. Sousuke's words finally caught up with her.

Atsunobu bowed his head. Ren smiled, brushing off her dress as she walked.

"We did it," Shinji whispered.

"**OOOOOOOOH!** _Big idiot!_ " Kaname kneed Sousuke in the groin with everything she had.

Sousuke fell onto his hands, face brushing against Kaname's groin region as his eyes rolled back in his head.

"**_Pervert!_**" Kaname' slap was as powerful as ever. A large red handprint throbbed on the side of the young fighter's face.

A staggered line of creatures closed in on the isolated group of students, oblivious to the small social drama acting itself out. There was a _new_ alpha male now. It was time to make that known in the best way possible. The food animals would be slaughtered to the last. No resistance would be suffered.

The slapping of taloned feet against the harder areas of the ground sounded like endless raindrops on a thin roof. A rising volume of animalistic exultations looked to serve as funeral music.

Successive numbers of monsters battered against cabins. Treed humans were tracked by climbing beasts. Stragglers in the forest learned that there was no place to hide. Monsters jockeyed for position as they raced towards huddled and exhausted groups of humans.

"_WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO H-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O O-O-O-O-O-._ Here he comes to save the day..."

That shout was barely audible, heard over Sousuke's communicator.

**WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH**

**WHAM-B-O-O—M**…** WHAM-B-O-O—M**…** WHAM-B-O-O-M**…** WHAM-B-O-O-M**

Missiles streaked downward from some unseen craft. Huge explosions were followed by small expanding fireballs. Monsters and parts of monsters flew in every possible direction, painting the trees and ground with splotches of red.

"_OH YEH!_ Better than any damn arcade game. Hasta la vista, baby..."

**SHUMP Whammm SHUMP Whammm SHUMP Whamm**

**SHUMP SHUMP SHUMP Whammm whammm whammm**

A number of exploding 57mm shells landed amongst the frantic and disordered creatures.

More bodies were blasted into oblivion. Thermal sights made hiding impossible, as soon as the retreating beasts passed a significant distance beyond the still roaring camp fires.

"_Damn it Weber!_ Didn't I tell you 'ladies first,' you hopeless asshole. The next round of drinks is on you. And the one after that too. _Got it?"_ That second familiar voice was music to Sousuke's ears. "If my chute gets stuck in a tree, I'm going to kick Sousuke's ass."

"Good. Hmmmpppfff." Kaname was feeling better. She was used to explosions.

Two very loud thumps were heard, and a slight tremor shook the clearing. The rising heat from the fires briefly showed two ghostly M9's with the ECS working.

**SCUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP SCHUMP**

An unseen multibarrel gun spat round after round, as the unseen mecha dished out retribution the old fashioned way. Small trees were ripped in half by the flying metal, falling this way and that, clearing new trails. Running monsters faired no better, decorating nearby vegetation and rocks with their entrails and bodily fluids. Ricochets off of iron-bearing rock set sparks high into the air.

_**OOOOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOO OOOO **_

_**ooooo o oooo o oooo o oooo o oooo o oooo o oooo o oooo o oooo o oooo o oooo o ooooooooo**_

The monsters were now in full retreat. Huge thudding footsteps could be heard following after one large group.

"Bad dogs. _Really_ bad dogs!"

Melissa's voice had Sousuke nodding his head. He doubted that any creature would have still be standing anywhere near the clearing.

There was no way an M9 could follow too closely after the fleeing monsters. But, the assault had served its purpose. With any luck, helicopters would be arriving in time. They wouldn't be able to land in the heavily forested area, but soldiers could rappel down and the wounded could be airlifted out.

"Sousuke, old buddy…… do you read? Sousuke, answer…… you better not be dead." Kurz' voice didn't sound too worried.

The look in Kaname's eyes was indecipherable. She could hear the communicator.

"Urzu-7, little Miss Tessa has a few things she wants to talk to you about later!" Sgt. Weber was his usual flippant self. Sousuke didn't mind. He knew that his long-haired squad mate's M9 was standing watch.

Nothing would sneak up on them. It looked like they might live.

"Sagara here. It was a close one. Too close." Sousuke brought the communicator close to his mouth. His pain caused a quick inrush of breath. "I... owwww... I was in much more danger from Miss Chidori..."

Kurz didn't miss the inflection in his friend's voice. Sousuke was in great pain. And he was in trouble with Kaname again. "Hang in there, Sousuke. Medical personnel are on the way in. You might feel better if Kaname gives you some mouth-to-mouth."

Kaname looked indignant. Then her eyes narrowed. She smiled like a cat sizing up a caged canary. Sousuke began to sweat.

That might have been the scariest thing he'd seen all night.

"Shut up Weber, before you get some boot-to-mouth. Cut the chatter. This isn't some f-cking high school slumber party. There are people dying out there. Vector in the _evac_ choppers. Start acting like a soldier. _For once!"_ Melissa's voice came through as the communicator defaulted to the command channel briefly.

Sousuke barely heard Kurz mutter "Bitch..." Unfortunately for Kurz, Sgt. Major Mao had the gain on her com system turned to full.

"You and I are going to have a little talk when we get back to _Da Danaan,_ Kurzie Poo..." The Sgt. Major's voice could have warped steel.

Sousuke closed his eyes... leaned back ever so carefully...and lay down on a patch of moss. His chest felt as if it were on fire. His hand stung terribly. Every muscle ache, bruise, and scrape he had been able to ignore for since his first contact with the foe had began to clamor for his full attention. He opened his eyes again, sensing a presence.

It was Kaname.

"Are you OK, Sousuke?" She looked worried. "You're so bloody." Her eyes were wide. She bit her lip. She flinched repeatedly, in a fair amount of pain herself. Her hands fluttered. She was uncharacteristically wool- headed.

"I will live. No vital organs were struck. The mind can survive pain. It is good that you are still living. You are wounded too." He paused, looking away. "Sorry. I never should have left you. It is my fault."

Kaname's attention was focused fully on Sousuke. She ignored the loud amplified voice projected by Kurz' M9, telling the hiding and barricaded students that the area was secure.

"That's right, you big jerk. I didn't _want_ you to leave me!" Kaname put a hand to her mouth. "_Hmmppfff_. I know you were doing what you thought was right. You did make it back in time. I may forgive you in time. I... I..." She had started to get very personal. Her automated defenses suddenly tossed in some flippancy, but they couldn't patch the hole in the dike.

"Kaname?" The pain surging through him, Sousuke closed his eyes again for a moment. When he could, he looked up into her face.

"What I am trying to say is..." Kaname blushed. In a forest full of death and devastation, she still had the ability to blush.

"I am listening..." Sousuke grimaced, but paid attention to Kaname.

"Uh...I... want to tell you that you... I... uh..." Kaname was unaware that Kyouko, Maya, Ryo, Mizuke, and a number of other girls had run over to see how she was doing. They all waited behind trees, watching the conversation.

"Yes?" Sousuke spoke very quietly.

"I really think you're pretty special...and I... I... think I have..." Kaname paused looking down at Sousuke. He had taken on some harrowing odds and come out alive.

Could she do any less?

"Kaname, I may pass out soon. What is it that you want me to know?" Sousuke closed his eyes.

"I...uh..." Kaname shook her head. She was feeling somewhat dizzy herself. It was now or never. "I wanted you to know that I... I think you fought well too. I'm proud of you." She put her hand on Sousuke's cheek, ashamed of her own cowardice. Then again, this wasn't exactly a romantic setting.

"Thank you, Kaname. That means a lot to me. I wanted to make sure you were safe. I _always _want to make sure you are safe." Sousuke grimaced again. He fought to remain conscious.

His next words came from deep within, unmonitored. They were hard for Kaname to make out. "You mean so much to me."

"What was that?" Kaname sat straight up. _"Sousuke?"_ His words had brushed lightly against her ears, like a feather caught in the wind.

Sousuke moaned, unable to reply.

"Sousuke," Kaname said quietly, coming close to tears as she watched Sousuke's obvious agony.

A noise behind her caused her to turn. She saw heads peeking around the trunks of ash trees and firs. The girls had ducked back into hiding too late.

"I see." Kaname was displeased. _Very_ displeased. Her eye caught sight of Sousuke's TMP. It didn't matter whether or not it was loaded. Her friends wouldn't know either way. Walking over, she picked it up.

"What does a girl need to do to get a little privacy?" She swung the gun around. Her friends took off running, headed towards the center of the clearing as an unseen rescuer directed.

She went back to sit by Sousuke, putting his head in her lap. She brushed the hair away from his closed eyes. He opened those eyes and looked up at her.

"Kaname?"

"_Shhhhhhhhh_... rest easy Sousuke…. I'm taking care of you now. You're safe. I won't let anything get you."

"It is not a problem. I could use a dressing. There should be some in the side pocket of my bag."

Kaname walked over to retrieve the requested items. She felt remiss. This wasn't the first time she had seen Sousuke wounded. She should have cut off his shirt and attended to his wounds long before he said anything.

"My hand could use bandaging as well. Please apply an antiseptic to the injuries first. Dog bites are notably dirty wounds. Human bites are worse. Who knows what these creatures' wounds might do..." The words brought Kaname up short, causing her to stop while cutting the bleeding soldier's shirt with scissors she had found.

"_Sousuke?"_

"Yes, Kaname?"

"Were... were those monsters _werewolves?_" Her hand trembled. She looked down at the blood on her own blouse. Any thought of a _Whispered_ connection had slipped her mind for the moment.

"I do not know, Kaname. They were killed by conventional weapons. But, they were intelligent, and like no animal I have ever heard of. They could be genetic creations. Who can say right now? I do not know if it matters, as long as you make it out of these mountains alive."

"Thank you, Sousuke…… but... I have seen some of the horror movies…… in America... and at _your_ place. We were both scratched. You were bitten. What are we going to do?" Kaname looked extremely troubled.

Sousuke lay quietly for a few heartbeats. Kaname's fingers gently touched his cheek."I see. We have two choices, Kaname..."

"Yes?"

"If wounds caused by the creatures do**_ not_** cause the victim to become like they themselves are... then we will go on to heal physically, and face the more difficult task of healing here..." Sousuke touched Kaname's chest over her heart, gritting his teeth as he moved his arm. "And here," he touched his own forehead.

"And if the bite _does_ create a monster?" Kaname shuddered.

The young operative lay quiet again. He ran his unbandaged hand through his hair.

When he was able to speak again, Sousuke pointed up at the full moon. He then put his hand on Kaname's. Squeezing , he looked up into her eyes.

"We hunt..."


End file.
